Cat in the Rafters?
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Hawk Moth, Mayura, and Cat Noir have vanished, but life goes on. Marinette is now an adult working as the costume designer at the Palais Garnier, and she's decided to let her teammates keep their Miraculous long-term. But when disturbing events start happening, she has to wonder... Is Hawk Moth back, or is there something even MORE dangerous going on? Rated T, Season 2/3 Spoilers
1. Life Went On

**Alright, let me try this whole "Phantom of the Opera" AU thing again. "Phantom of the Atelier" didn't get the response I was hoping. **

**The Miraculous will exist, but they're young adults here, so they can use their powers without changing back and recharging, as has been established in Timetagger. And in this story, not only did Adrien not attend public school, but Hawk Moth, Mayura, ****_and_**** Cat Noir have disappeared out of nowhere - the backstory will be explained. **

**This story also explores a potential answer to a question that I've been thinking about: if a damaged Miraculous can cause the powers to go awry (As seen in "Timetagger") or have ill effects on the owner's health (as is the case of Nathalie and Emilie's use of the Peacock Miraculous), then what about the stability of their psyche? How would a damaged Miraculous mess with someone's sanity/mental health? **

**Okay, for those of us who know the story of "Phantom of the Opera," I'm sure there's no need to summarize, but for those that ****_don't_**** know the story (or have seen the show), here's a brief synopsis: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is not only the costume designer for the Palais Garnier, but she has dreams of potentially singing soprano, even if its only the one time. She becomes the vocal student (and obsession) of a mysterious figure living below the building. But wild and disturbing events start happening when the opera house changes owners...  
**

**Not every song from the musical is going to be in this story, and some songs may only be in pieces or with modifications to the lyrics, just a warning. If the flow seems a little choppy, I apologize in advance. **

_**NOW, CURTAINS UP! **_

* * *

_"SOLD!" __*BANG* "Congratulations on your purchase, Monsieur!" _

"...Is this the one?" A man in his mid-forties asked.

He had black hair that had tips dyed teal, which matched his eyes. He had a nice suit in navy blue with teal accents, too. He was also wearing a bangle in sea green on his wrist.

He was holding onto a paper maîche music box in the shape of a monkey.

A woman the same age, with short black hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and wearing a red dress was looking over the music box.

She gave a sad nod, saying, "Yes. That's the one. It's exactly how I remember it. I'm surprised it's still intact after all this time."

"...Quite the collectors' piece, huh? Every detail is exactly as you mentioned..." He murmured.

The woman looked it over again, with a mix of nostalgia and sadness in her eyes.

"...I wonder if this thing will still play once the rest of us are six feet under?" He questioned.

"I don't know." She replied.

"Lot 666 - a chandelier in pieces." The auctioneer spoke, garnering everyone's attention. They all looked to a tarp-covered item in the center of the room.

The married couple held each other close. The raven-haired woman was shivering in her husband's arms. The crew took the tarp off the aforementioned item. Her eyes widened as she looked at the lighting piece. It looked like nothing happened. She shrunk closer into his embrace, feeling safer.

"It's okay..." The older man gently whispered to his wife while looking towards the chandelier. "It's over now... It's been over for a long time..."

"Some of you may recall the strange affair regarding the "Phantom of the Opera." This chandelier is the same one from that very disaster," The auctioneer explained. "Our workshops have repaired it, outfitting it with new wiring and lights."

The blue-haired gentleman tenderly stroked the woman's back to help her relax. Her shivering subsided, her breathing evened out, and she released a big breath of air she didn't know she was holding in.

"Perhaps now we can shed some light on the past and chase those ghosts away," The auctioneer said before gesturing to the crew. Everyone looked towards the center of the room where the chandelier was. "Gentlemen... _Lights up!"_

With a flick of a switch, the lights on the chandelier went on in an instant. As the chandelier started slowly ascending into the air, organ music started playing. And almost like time was being turned back, the building became well-maintained, brightly-lit, and tastefully-decorated...

On the stage, a woman with long, blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a bit of makeup, and wearing a big, beautiful dress in red, green, and gold, was holding a fake head.

_"This trophy from our saviors... From our saviors, from the enslaving force of Rome!" _She sang, vocalizing and performing the movements correctly.

In the back where the costumes were stored, a young woman with short, ebony hair, eyes that rivaled the hues of a blue diamond, and skin like cream, was working on sewing up a few tears on one of the dresses.

"Your work is great, Marinette!" A small, sweet voice said. The woman turned to a tiny red creature with black spots and blue eyes.

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette replied. "Now if only I can get more of these designs right."

There was a knock on the door and a woman her age with tan skin, hazel eyes, glasses, and dark red hair came in. She also had a fox-tail charm necklace, with a smaller creature that looked like a fox floating next to her.

"Hey Alya." Marinette spoke to her friend.

"Hey girl," Alya replied as she came in. "Rehearsal's under way."

"How's Chloé doing out there?" Marinette questioned.

"The usual," Alya scoffed. "Her singing is still pretty screechy. It _works_, but _sheesh, _it's nearly impossible to understand what she's saying sometimes."

"Yeah, but what do you expect? One word from her about threatening to call in the mayor or her mom..." Marinette began.

"She's gotten better about that, and I'm glad we're on better terms with her... You know, I talked to her earlier and I think it's safe to say that we're all... Friends now. Being Queen Bee has really helped." Alya began.

_"NO! NO! Monsieur, it's "Rome," not "Roma!"" _A voice shouted from onstage, garnering the women's attention.

_"Si, si, but "Rome" is hard for me. Very hard..." _Another voice replied.

"Doesn't sound like our tenor's doing too good of a job today..." Marinette muttered.

"While we're on the subject of jobs, Marinette, you've really grown into this fashion designer career of yours." Trixx, the fox kwami stated.

"Trixx is right! Your costumes are top-notch, and you're earning enough where you could possibly strike out on your own and start your own small company! I'd be more than happy to help with social media and PR." Alya agreed.

"Thanks, Alya, but I don't feel quite ready for that just yet," Marinette gently spoke. "Besides, there are still some things I need to get done before I really spread my wings."

"I can see that," Alya conceded. "Anyway, I heard the rumors about the owner retiring and passing the business on."

"Yeah, I've heard those, too," Marinette confirmed. "I think the owner's going to confirm or deny those rumors today."

"What'll happen when or _if_ the owner _does_ retire?" Tikki questioned.

"I don't know," Marinette replied. "Everyone here might get sacked or some of us might be kept."

"Who knows what'll happen," Alya said with a shrug. "But it's not like you're in trouble. No one's capable of designing the costumes as well as you."

"That's for sure," Trixx agreed. "And no one's capable of outsmarting supervillains like you, either!"

"...Speaking of which, how long has it been since we've last had an akumatization?" Marinette quietly asked.

"...Coming up on five years," Alya solemnly confirmed. "Think Hawk Moth's up to something?"

"I've considered that. But if he _were_, he would've executed his plan a long time ago. And we haven't heard anything from Mayura, either... Not to mention Cat Noir." Marinette said, her face falling at the thought of her missing partner.

"Still worried about him?" Alya asked. "Those three vanished without a trace. You'd think that tomcat would've told you something beforehand."

"Yeah... I wish I knew what happened to him," Marinette murmured. "Especially since the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous are still unaccounted for. I can't get them back without him. He might know something."

"Don't worry, girl. You've got me, Nino, and Chloé to back you up. Not to mention the rest of our teammates when we need them." Alya reassured.

_"The trumpeting elephant sound, hear Romans now, and tremble! Hark to their step on the ground. Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!" _The chorus crooned from onstage.

"I hope our tenor can get on that damned prop elephant without any help this time." Alya spoke, shaking her head.

"Me too," Marinette muttered. "That thing's a little too big for him to mount on his own."

"But the prop master had to make the elephant to proportion as best as he could." Alya reminded.

"Fair enough." Marinette admitted.

The singing soon stopped and the clamoring and chatter from everyone started flowing into the room.

"I think I hear the owner out there," Alya said. "Come on, let's go and see if the rumors are legitimate."

The kwamis ducked into their designated hiding places before their owners left costume area. They went in to the house where the stage and seats were, and there was the owner with two men. One was an older man wearing a white suit and pink shirt, with white hair and lime-green eyes. Next to him was a younger man with long blonde hair in a swift up-do and a purple bandana. He also wore purple with an "XY" necklace in gold.

_'Crap, not Mr. Roth and XY...'_ Marinette thought, remembering the encounters she'd had with them in the past, most of which weren't very pleasant unless Jagged Stone was in the room.

"Everyone! Everyone?" The owner said, shouting for quiet, but no one was getting any attention.

He sighed, then turned to another woman in the room. She was wearing a black pant suit, had blue eyes framed by glasses, and black hair with a red streak tied in a bun.

"Ms. Sancoeur?" The owner prompted.

The woman took out her cane, then she loudly tapped it against the floor, getting everyone's attention and silence. They all looked to the owner.

"Thank you," The owner stated. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, there have been rumors of my retirement floating about the past few weeks. Today I can officially tell you that these rumors are true."

"I knew it!" Alya whispered to Marinette, who nodded.

Everyone else started talking and muttering about the situation. The owner looked to Nathalie again, who once again tapped her cane.

"It's also my honor to introduce you to the new owners of the Palais Garnier, Mr. Bob Roth and his son, Xavier-Yves." The owner said, gesturing to the two men.

"My peeps refer to me as "XY," sir." The younger man said in a condescending tone.

"May I introduce Nathalie Sancoeur," The owner said as he presented the older woman to them. "One of the supervisors here at the Palais Garnier."

Marinette looked at Nathalie suspiciously. The fact that Nathalie was so loyal to Gabriel Agreste made Marinette why the older woman left her job there in the first place.

As the new owners were talking with the rest of the staff, no one noticed that there was someone up in the rafters, looking down at the scene...

Chloé stepped forward to the new owners, and said, "Hello there! Chloé Bourgeois, Queen Bee, the lead soprano for five seasons straight! It's _your_ honor to meet me."

She curtsied. Marinette and Alya rolled their eyes, unsurprised at Chloé's behavior.

"Listen, it doesn't matter how experienced you are as a singer," Bob started. "If we can't make any money off your voice, then it's no good. Since Elissa has an aria in Act III, I wanna hear you sing a bit."

"Naturally," Chloé said. "But only two bars, got it?"

"Whatever," Bob spoke with a roll of his eyes. "Just croon like a canary already."

"Maestro!" Chloé barked out.

The man at the grand piano started playing the song.

_"Think of me. Think of me fondly when we've said_ _goodbye."_ Chloé sang.

Her voice was reverberating, but high-pitched and a bit screechy. There were points where it was hard to make out the lyrics.

_"Remember me, once in a while, please promise me you'll try!" _Chloé crooned.

Everyone had neutral expressions on their faces as they listened to Chloé sing. Up in the catwalk, there was someone watching. A gloved hand reached for one of the cables, then the ring on the finger flashed green. Black energy surrounded the hand.

_"On that day, that not-so-distant day, when you are far away and free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for..." _Chloé continued.

A cable that'd disintegrated fell on the stage off to the side. Out of Marinette's peripheral vision from above, Marinette saw something, then gasped.

_"CHLOÉ, WATCH OUT!" _Marinette hollered.

One of the hanging stage lights fell, heading right for Chloé, garnering screams from everyone. Chloé looked up to see the object heading for her, then jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding it. Everyone was screaming and scrambling around in fear, minus Nathalie and the new owners. But Marinette and Alya weren't panicking either.

_"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" _Someone shouted in the crowd.

"Chloé!" Alya shouted as she and Marinette ran over to the blonde.

Bob and XY weren't amused at this.

"Hey, show some manners, why don't you?!" Bob barked angrily.

"Chloé, you okay?" Marinette asked as she and Alya helped her stand up.

"I've been a _lot_ better, Marinette," Chloé spat, dusting herself off. "Thanks for the warning shout, though."

"No problem..." Marinette stated before her eyes wandered back up to the rafters. She thought she saw movement in the shadows...

"Damn it! Where _is_ he?!" The owner shouted. "Chief of the Flies! He's the one behind this! I want him down here!"

"Over here, sir!" The somewhat older man (mid to late thirties) said as he came over to the group. He had some ropes wrapped around and under one of his arms.

"For crying out loud, _what_ is going on up there?!" The owner demanded of the manager of the fly system.

"You're barking up the wrong tree. I was taking a lunch break," He replied in defense. "There's no one up there, sir. And if there was, who could it be? A ghost?"

Everyone started chittering in anxiety again, with one girl quivering, _"He's there... The Phantom of the Opera..."_

"I've never seen such disrespectful behavior!" Bob Roth barked.

XY went over to the girls, and told Chloé, "Chill out, Chloé. These things happen, ya know."

Alya and Marinette glared at him, not amused.

"_'These things happen, ya know...'_" Chloé said mockingly, before flying into a rage. "_MY ASS!_"

She got into XY's face and yanked him by the lapels of his jacket.

_"What the hell do you know?! You haven't even been here FIVE MINUTES!" _Chloé screamed before shoving XY away. "Yeah, _'these things happen,' _but they're happening _ALL THE TIME! _For _YEARS!" _

She rounded on the older owner, pointed at him, and said, "And YOU didn't do anything to put a stop to it! You're always making excuses, and even when I threaten to tell daddy, you _still_ enable all of this!"

She glared at Bob and XY, then spat, "And you, Mr. Roth and XY, are just as bad, if not worse! Unless you _STOP _these things from happening, _I'M NOT SINGING A DAMNED NOTE! RIDICULOUS, UTTERLY RIDICULOUS! AMATEURS!"_

Chloé then walked offstage in a huff, but not without sparing a glance to her friends. She gave them a brief nod, implying something, before slamming the backstage door to the dressing room.

"I've seen Chloé throw fits before, but not like _this_." Marinette whispered to Alya.

"Yeah, but I don't blame her for walking out," Alya whispered back, garnering confusion from the half-Asian girl. "The funny thing is, I've noticed that almost every time there's an incident like this, Chloé's the one in the line of fire all the time... Almost as if she's the intended target."

"Now that you mention it, you're right..." Marinette began, realizing Alya's observation skills were on point as usual.

"Well, I guess that's that," The old owner said. "I don't think there's anything more I can do for you. If you need me, I'll be in Berlin, Germany."

The old owner left the building.

"Heh, Chloé will be back," Bob Roth chuckled. "She's not going to let stardom and fortune go so easily."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Nathalie began, approaching. "I have a message for you from the Opera Ghost."

Everyone stiffened up, minus XY, Nathalie, and Bob Roth.

"_Dieu au paradis_, everyone in here is obsessed!" Bob sighed in annoyance.

"He's only welcoming you to _his_ opera house, is telling you to leave Box 13 open for his personal use, and is reminding you that his salary is due." Nathalie continued.

"_His_ opera house? _His _salary?" Roth asked, a bit annoyed.

"His initial pay was €20,000 monthly," Nathalie explained, getting bug-eyes out of the new owners, and shocked expressions from everyone else. "Perhaps you can give him a raise since Kitty Section has become your new sponsor?"

"What the hell?! €20,000 a _month?!_" XY protested. "And Kitty Section being a new sponsor was something _I _was going to announce."

"Will any of the band members be in attendance tonight?" Nathalie continued.

"Only the lead guitarist, but don't change the subject!" Bob Roth said, pointing at Nathalie. "Whoever the understudy for Elissa is, get her ready for the show _NOW!_"

"Sorry, no understudy, Mr. Roth." The maestro said from the piano bench.

"How can there _NOT_ be an understudy?!" Bob shouted indignantly.

"New production." The maestro stated.

"Great! No understudy, so that means no show! Right on our first night! All that money, _LOST_, all because someone decided to pitch a fit." Bob groused.

As everyone started talking about what they were going to do. Then Alya's mind sparked an idea. She turned to Marinette with a smiling face that said, "Genius idea, don't try to stop me!"

Marinette knew that look and braced herself for Alya's new plan.

"Hey Marinette, why don't _you_ give it a try?" Alya suggested, gently pushing Marinette forward by the shoulders.

"What? _Me?!_" Marinette squealed, pointing to herself in surprise. Everyone looked in her direction. "No way, Alya! I can't! I'm only the costume designer, not a singer!"

"You've told me at least once you wanted to sing a lead part in one of the shows, right?" Alya asked once more.

"Half-jokingly, Alya!" Marinette insisted.

"But you've been taking singing lessons on the side, haven't you?" Alya questioned.

"Only for fun, not to be a serious singer, Alya!" Marinette protested.

"If you've been taking lessons, then who's your teacher?" XY interrogated arrogantly.

"...I think he'd prefer to remain anonymous. Even _I_ don't know his name..." Marinette stated with uncertainty.

"Great, is everyone here crazy?" Bob asked.

"Give her a chance," Nathalie stated. "She's been excellently trained. She _knows_ what she's doing."

"Ugh, fine," Roth griped. "Take it from the top of the aria."

Marinette stepped forward into the crowd, meanwhile the maestro started on the piano. Marinette looked around at everyone, and she started internally channeling her inner Ladybug.

_"Think of me... Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye," _Marinette began timidly, earning a stern look from Nathalie. She took a breath and continued. _"Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try."_

Everyone's eyes widened and people started smiling. Marinette's eyes wandered to Alya, who was giving her a thumb's up and a smile.

_"On that day, that not-so-distant day, when you are far away and free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me..." _Marinette trilled.

Nathalie put a hand up to stop the maestro. After a few seconds, everyone applauded Marinette, even Bob Roth, and he said, "We've found our Elissa!"

Everyone cheered, and Marinette had to fight to hold back a smile.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Marinette was now dressed in Chloé's stage costume and standing on the stage.

_"Though its clear, though it was always clear that this was never meant to be. If you happen to remember, stop and think of me." _Marinette crooned before traveling the stage.

Marinette's mind wandered to her missing superhero partner, and she let that leak into her performance. She sang, _"Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been..."_

She turned back to the crowd and continued her song, trilling, _"Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me trying to hard to put you from my mind. Think of me, please say you'll think of me, whatever it is you choose to do. There will never be a day when I won't think of you~!"_

Up in one of the box seats, a young man with olive skin, blue eyes, matching hair, and wearing a nice navy blue suit was watching intently. He had a sea green bangle on his wrist.

He looked on the stage with a big smile.

_"Can it be? Is that Marinette?" _He quietly sang as he watched the young woman on stage. He stood up, clapping loudly. _"Bravo! What a change, you really have grown up, from that sweet thing you once were. She may not remember me, but I remember her!"_

_"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons, so do we! But please promise me that sometimes, you will think of me!" _Marinette sang, vocalizing "of," before wrapping up her number.

Marinette got a standing ovation from the crowd, flowers being thrown at her, and cheers.

Once the curtains fell for the night, Marinette walked behind the stage to go back to the costume areas, but everyone in the ensemble and some of the other players ran up to her, crowding around her with praises and congrats.

"Oh, thank you... Thank you so much! I know, I wasn't sure I was able to do it, either... Really, I don't intend on making a career of this!" Marinette said, trying to reply to the bombardment of good words from her peers.

Nathalie approached the group and tapped her cane on the floor, and everyone went quiet. The woman looked at Marinette and gave the younger woman a smile.

"Excellent job, Marinette. _He_ will be pleased," Nathalie stated, and Marinette returned the smile. "But everyone else, you were pathetic tonight. Go and rehearse _now_."

The rest of the crowd, Nathalie included, left Marinette alone. Breathing a relieved sigh, Marinette started walking back to the costume area.

But she paused when she heard a chilling voice from out of nowhere sing, _"Brava... Brava... Bravissimo!" _

_'...That voice again...' _Marinette thought.

"Marinette? Marinette?" Tikki said, checking on her owner.

_"Princess..." _The same enigmatic voice sang from somewhere.

"Marinette, _GIRL!_ Are you with us right now?!" Alya spoke, waving a hand in front of Marinette's face, forcing her to blink.

"Oh, um, sorry Alya," Marinette apologized, shaking her head. She came back to earth, remembering she promised Alya an interview post-performance. They were back in the costume storage rooms. "You were saying?"

Alya sighed and shook her head with a smile, then said, "Marinette, you've been holding out on me! I knew you were a talented designer, but I didn't know you could sing like that! You totally _crushed_ it tonight."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette thanked. "But I don't plan on being a permanent singer. Just until Chloé comes back... _If_ she comes back."

"But you did a spectacular job regardless, Marinette." Tikki insisted.

"Tikki's got it right," Trixx agreed. "But now we need answers: who's your teacher? Alya wants to credit the person who made her BFF a singer in the article!"

Marinette and Tikki glanced at each other a bit.

"Well... It's sort of a... _Weird_ situation," Marinette began. "I don't think it's something you should put in your article at all, actually."

"Weird? In what way?" Trixx asked.

"...The reason I don't know his name is because he's... Kind of a figure in the dark. We always have our lessons in here when no one else is around, but he's always in the shadows of the room." Marinette explained.

"Really?" Alya asked, before turning serious. "...Think it's a super villain prowling the building?"

"I was thinking that's the case, but it doesn't seem like it. None of the tell-tale signs are there. There's something strangely familiar about him, too," Marinette continued. "It's like... He knows more about me than he lets on, but he's very well-practiced in discretion."

"A stalker?!" Alya spoke, spooked.

"...I don't think so," Marinette began, shaking her head. "Again, something familiar about him. His voice... He _sounds_ like someone I used to see a lot."

"...Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Alya asked.

"What are you thinking? That my teacher is the _Angel of Music_ or something?" Marinette joked. The girls and kwamis laughed at the notion.

"Yeah, that'd be crazier than Hawk Moth making a comeback!" Alya joked back.

The girls once again laughed, but then Marinette started to shudder a little.

"He's... Always with me." Marinette said anxiously.

"Marinette, your hands are getting gold!" Tikki pointed out.

"...It's like he's all around me, too..." Marinette murmured.

"Girl, you okay? You're paler than a ghost." Alya asked.

"...It kind of scares me a bit." Marinette admitted to her group.

"Don't be scared. You're one of the most courageous girls I know. You're-" Alya said, but the kwamis hid when they heard footsteps.

Nathalie opened the door and got the girls' attention.

"Mlle. Césaire, are you nearly finished with your interview with Marinette?" Nathalie asked.

"No, but I can pick it up again later if you need me to," Alya stated. "Talk to you soon, girl?"

"Okay." Marinette said as she saw her best friend leave the costume room.

Nathalie came forward and she said, "I have a note for you, Marinette."

She handed the young designer a pale teal envelope before leaving the room.

Tikki came out and said, "I wonder what the letter says?"

Marinette opened up the envelope and took out the note. She read aloud, "Unicorn masks? Attic bedroom? Angel Song?"

She and Tikki looked at each other curiously.

Outside, Bob, XY, and the guitarist from Kitty Section were walking down the halls. The blue-haired youth was carrying a small bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

"We struck it rich tonight!" Bob Roth praised.

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's an amazing designer, but I think we can exploit her singing voice too." XY agreed.

The blue-haired man was giving the two men the stink-eye, then sighed.

"Well, Luka, here's where our star likes to shack up, apparently." Bob said, thumb-jerking to the costume room.

"Thank you sirs, but I have a feeling that Marinette wouldn't like the two of you in the room. So, I'll make this visit alone." Luka stated, a charming smile on his face.

"Ugh, fine. Go for it, Romeo." Bob spat as he and XY started to take their leave.

"Good, they're gone." Luka muttered angrily.

Inside the costume room, Marinette was getting ready to leave for the night.

Tikki told her owner, "You never got a chance to tell Alya what you were _really_ thinking."

"...That it's possible that my coach could be Cat Noir?" Marinette questioned quietly. "I mean... He _sounds_ like him. If it's really Cat Noir, then maybe..."

Luka opened the door quietly, slipped in, and said, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, did someone try to loot your unicorn mask again?"

Marinette's head perked up. She knew that voice...

"It was bad enough when Bob Roth and XY stole that costume design and Kitty Section's song. No wonder that super villain... Silencer, was it? No wonder that happened." Luka said, still standing behind Marinette.

"You got pissed off not only because were we gypped, but Bob Roth threatened to ruin me," Marinette said, before turning around and smiling at her guest. "Oh Luka, you really _are_ here!"

She ran over to the young man, leaped into his arms, and he returned her embrace while gifting her with a kiss on her forehead. While the two young adults were cuddling, Tikki came out of hiding, as did a sea-green snake kwami with a cobra-like hood.

Marinette and Luka broke away, and Luka handed her the roses.

"Pink roses! My favorite! You remembered!" Marinette said as she took the blooms into her hands and took a sniff of the perfume.

"I could never forget _anything_ about you, Angel Song." Luka said, giving her a wink.

Marinette blushed, saying, "You remember that?"

"Of course I do," Luka continued as the two of them sat down on some chairs. "I mean, remember when you'd sit in on Kitty Section's jam sessions on the boat?"

"Yeah. I remember the music festival when your mom got akumatized. When we first met..." Marinette stated, her eyes glued to him with a blush on her cheeks.

The snake kwami went over to Tikki, and the latter of the two said, "Those two are such a great match! Aren't they, Sass?"

"Indeed they are, Tikki," Sass replied. "Our owners are clearly in love with each other."

"It's so sweet." Tikki spoke, her eyes glittering.

The Miraculous owners were gazing at each other romantically while talking with each other.

"...Or whenever the two of us would watch movies or play video games in your attic bedroom?" Luka recalled.

"Yeah!" Marinette said. "Those were the days... Whenever there wasn't any super villains to worry about."

"...Still worried about Hawk Moth?" Luka asked.

Marinette gave a sad nod, then said, "The Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous are still out there and we _have_ to get them back. So long as they're not under the guardian's care, we can't relax too much."

"...Let's change the subject," Luka stated. "I didn't know you could sing. You're an amazing girl as it is, but this just made me fall for you a little more with your performance."

"Thanks, Luka," Marinette thanked, but she looked him in the eyes with a blush. "But I only did it because there wasn't an understudy. I'm not going to be doing this again. I'm a fashion designer, not a singer, and I was only taking lessons just for the fun of it."

"Your voice coach probably won't like hearing that." Luka joked.

"No, I doubt he will..." Marinette agreed more seriously.

"By the way, I was hoping I could take you out to dinner tonight to celebrate?" Luka suggested, thumb-jerking to the door.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Marinette said, delighted.

"Great," Luka said as he made for the door. "I'll be back in about two minutes."

Luka left the room, leaving Marinette alone in the room. She swooned happily, before saying, "I'm so glad he hasn't changed."

Sparking sounds were heard from the ceiling. Marinette looked up, saw that the lights were flickering and sparking, then the room was plunged in near-black, prompting Marinette to shriek a little. Tikki ducked into hiding.

_"Insolent boy! This slave of fashion! Basking in your glory!" _A voice angrily - and musically - thundered from nowhere. _"Ignorant fool! This brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph!" _

"Oh, it's you... Don't scare me like that!" Marinette said, crossing her arms.

_"...Apologies, mon étudiant." _The same voice replied.

Marinette heaved a sigh of relief before saying, "You know, I'm sick of this...I really wish you wouldn't hide in the dark. I think I have the right to put a face to the person who's been teaching me... Don't I?"

_"Darling Princess, you shall know me..." _The voice crooned gently. _"See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror..."_

Marinette turned to the full-size mirror in the room, and in the dim light, two cat-like green eyes and a mop of blonde hair appeared.

_"I am there inside!" _He sang.

Marinette gasped at the sight of the eyes.

"Finally... Please, don't hide from me anymore!" Marinette said, delighted.

_"I am your Angel of Music... Come to me, Angel of Music..." _The figure in the mirror sang. As he trilled, the glass in the mirror started to slide to the side. Mist started pouring out of the mirror, too.

Marinette's eyes lost their light and pupils. Marinette's arms fell to her sides and she dropped the pink roses. Her face went blank and lifeless, almost as if she were being hypnotized.

Luka had come back to the room. His ear was to the door, and alarm was on his face.

"Marinette? Are you okay?! Who's in there with you?" Luka shouted as he banged on the door while jiggling the doorknob. Somehow it was locked.

_"I am your Angel of Music..."_ The cloaked figure sang, holding out a hand to Marinette. In a trance, she placed her hand in his outstretched one.

_"Come to me, Angel of Music..." _He sang again as he helped Marinette inside the mirror, then took her by the shoulder as the glass closed again. They disappeared into the dark.

"Sass, get the door!" Luka ordered while still shaking the door handle.

Sass phased into the keyhole, unlocking the door from the inside, then phased back out. Luka burst in, only to find an empty, brightly-lit room.

"Marinette?!" Luka asked loudly before noticing the roses were on the floor...

* * *

**Alright, we'll end the scene there for the time being. Now, I like setting review goals because it keeps me motivated to write because it shows me that people care about my writing. So, I'd like to see a minimum of 6+ reviews (NO HATE PLEASE) before I post the next chapter. **

**Next time, Marinette finally meets her mentor and discovers a few things about him. And a few crucial things are brought to light, too. **


	2. Reunion

**Okay, chapter two is up and running! Thanks for the support guys! Can we keep it up, please? This time, I'm looking for a review goal of about 12-15+. Think you can do that for me? Please and thank you! Sorry for taking so long with this update. I wanted to wait until "Reflektdoll" aired because I wanted to see how kwamis act when their Miraculous are damaged _and_ I wanted to see Dusuu make her debut, too. **

**Alright, in this chapter, Marinette is brought down to the Phantom's lair for another lesson, and she learns a few things about him. What does she learn? You'll have to read and find out!  
**

* * *

Down underneath the opera house, there was a huge, winding staircase. Marinette was being led down the stairs by her tutor, who was wearing a black, skin-tight costume, a cape on his shoulders, clawed gloves, a fedora on his head that showed cat ears, and there was a belt that acted like a tail. The black mask he had on covered the top half of his face, and the entire right side all the way down to the chin.

Marinette was still in her trance, her eyes like a dead fish and her face blank. But as if her body were on autopilot, she was singing.

_"In sleep he sang to me. In dreams he came. That voice which calls to me and speaks my name," _Marinette sang, looking to the back of the head of her mentor _"And do I dream again, for now I find... The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind."_

Her tutor was walking down the stairs without a flashlight, his hand gently holding hers. He turned his face towards her, a smirk marring his features.

_"Sing once again with me! Our strange duet!" _He sang. _"My power over you grows stronger yet!" _

Marinette's eyes regained their light for a second, then she turned around to see where she was, only to feel a tug on her arm.

_"And though you turn from me to glance behind... The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind!" _He crooned.

He brought Marinette to a boat at the bottom of the stairs. It was like a Venetian gondola, including the steering stick. He helped Marinette into the boat. She sat down, then he undid the anchor and started pushing the gondola across a massive lake.

_"Those who have seen your face draw back in fear..."_ Marinette sang, looking at her mentor from behind again. _"I am the mask you wear."_

_"It's me they hear!" _He sang as he continued steering the boat.

_"Your/my spirit and my/your voice in one combined..." _The pair sang together, with her tutor turning to her, his green eyes baring into her blues. _"The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your/my mind."_

Marinette's brain fog started to slowly lift, and she noticed that her mentor was steering the boat all the way to a huge island in the middle of the lake. It had a grand piano, an organ, a bed, a full-length mirror, and something hidden under a white tarp. There were electric lanterns everywhere, and there was a computer on a podium stand, too. But the entire area was surrounded by mist.

_"In all your fantasies, you always knew. That man and mystery..." _He boomed melodically as the boat started getting closer.

_"Were both in you." _Marinette trilled back.

_"And in this labyrinth where night is blind..." _They sang in tandem as the boat landed.

He stepped out, anchored the boat, then held his hand out to Marinette. She absently put her hand in his again, and he helped her out onto land.

_"The Phantom of the Opera is there... Inside your/my mind." _They once again sang together.

He brought her further onto the island, before letting go of her hand and singing, _"Sing, my Angel of Music!"_

_"He's there, the Phantom of the Opera..." _Marinette began before vocalizing.

_"Sing!" _The Phantom ordered. Marinette's vocalizing increased in pitch.

Meanwhile, he took off his hat and cape, then threw the pieces onto a nearby hat rack. He smoothed his hair back.

_"Sing, my Angel!" _He commanded again. Once more, Marinette's pitch went higher. He was moving his hands, similar to a conductor.

He kept walking around Marinette, keeping his eyes trained on his student. Her voice was still hitting all the right notes.

_"Sing!" _He repeated, prompting Marinette's pitch to go higher.

Marinette kept vocalizing, always stopping to breathe.

Reveling in her voice, he shouted, _"Sing for me!"_

Marinette hit her highest note yet, but then her eyes regained her light. She shook her head, regaining her senses, before looking around at her surroundings with clear eyes.

"W-Where are we?!" Marinette asked.

"Welcome to my home," Her teacher gently spoke. "This is a place where music reigns supreme, and everyone must honor it."

"You brought me to your private place? Why?" Marinette questioned. "For a lesson?"

"Well, mostly..." He chuckled.

She focused her vision on her mentor, who was at the pipe organ/piano. When he lifted his face to look at her, she gasped when she realized who it was.

"I knew it! It's you... Cat Noir!" Marinette declared.

"Indeed." He stated, a smile ghosting his face.

"_Where the hell have you been?!_ It's been _years_ since anyone's seen you in the field! I- er, _Ladybug's_ been worried sick!" Marinette shouted, nearly slipping up.

With a tart laugh, he said, "...Well, it's nice to know at least _you_ care about me... _M'lady._"

Marinette's breath hitched, then she stepped back. She weakly spoke, "Y... You know?!"

"Yeah," He stated with a nod, prompting Tikki to come out of hiding. "For a while now. _Plagg, claws in._"

In a flash of lime green, his costume faded away. He was wearing a nice suit with a tie, but he still had a mask that covered the entire top and lower right of his face and his hair was coiffed nicely. Next to him was a black kwami that resembled a cat.

"Plagg!" Tikki began, flying over to him.

"Nice to see you again, Sugarcube!" Plagg teased.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Tikki complained.

"Why are you revealing yourself to me like this?!" Marinette asked.

"There's no danger anymore." He stated with a shrug.

"But Hawk Moth-" Marinette began, only for Cat Noir to put a hand up.

"I _purromise_ that we won't be hearing from _that_ pile of garbage _ever_ again," He coldly reported, a deep scowl on his face. "He's _GONE_. Ancient _hiss_-tory. Next time Nooroo and Dusuu get owners, we'll make sure they'll be in the _right paws_."

"What...?" Marinette whispered, the familiarity of his awful cat puns not going over her head.

"That's actually part of the reason I brought you down here," He stated as he opened up a drawer on his desk, took two things out, then walked over to Marinette. "I've got a few presents for you. Here you go."

In his hands were two smaller Miracle boxes.

"Are those...?" Marinette began in a whisper.

"Yep. The Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous." Cat Noir confirmed with a smile in his voice.

_"But how?!"_ Marinette asked, shocked. Tikki had the same expression.

"It's a long story," Cat Noir explained. "The best way I can sum it up is that I was given an entire basket of lemons, made lemonade, but got some of the juice in my eyes in the process."

"...Why didn't you just _tell me_ what happened instead of just falling off the radar?... Hell, why didn't you try to get in touch with me when it did?" Marinette asked.

"...It was more like I _couldn't_. Like I said, it's a long story. But the point is that Nooroo and Dusuu are safe, Hawk Moth and Mayura are _gone_, and you can get these two back to the guardian where they belong." He stated before putting the two boxes into Marinette's hands.

She placed them back into her purse without a word as he went back to the piano.

"Now that we have that out of the way, it's time for your next singing lesson." He spoke.

"But hang on! I've already told you, I want to be a fashion designer, not a singer," Marinette protested. "I'm only doing this for fun, not a career."

"Then let's just have some fun," He said with a smile and shrug. "This time we're going to learn about how music can, or rather, _should _be found in the dark."

Marinette sighed with an eye-roll, then questioned, "Music in the dark? That doesn't make any sense."

"The average person might not understand, but _I _do." Cat Noir explained before snapping his fingers. The lights dimmed, causing Marinette to look around in confusion.

_"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation," _He gently crooned as the fog in the room thickened a little bit. _"Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses."_

Marinette understood what he was saying. He left his piano bench and started walking towards her.

_"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender," _He sang before gently taking Marinette's chin in his hand. _"Turn your face away from the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light..."_

Marinette kept her eyes on her teacher, prompting him to let go of her chin. He backed up a few steps.

_"And listen to the music of the night," _He sang again. _"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams. Purge all thoughts of the life you knew before!"_

Marinette listened to his directions, closing her eyes... But she kept remembering her life, right from the moment she and Tikki first met. Her first battle with Stoneheart, the day she met Alya, the day she loaned her the Fox Miraculous to become Rena Rouge for the very first time... The day she and Luka first met and fell in love.

_"Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar! And you'll live as you've never lived before." _Cat Noir trilled as he came closer.

Marinette kept her eyes shut, remembering more times. The day she and Chloé actually became friends; the day Luka was akumatized into Silencer and he professed his love to her _twice_, in the exact same words; their first date at the ice rink; Luka's first day out as Viperion; the day Marinette revealed her secret to her team.

_"Slowly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you," _Cat Noir continued. _"Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind! In this darkness that you know you cannot fight..."_

He came over to Marinette and gently put the back of his hand against her face, quietly singing, _"The darkness of the music of the night."_

Feeling the unwelcome touch, Marinette opened her eyes, backed away, and tried to find the boat so she could leave. She used her eyes to communicate her desire to Tikki, who followed her lead.

They made to leave, but Cat Noir belted out, _"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world! Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!"_

This made the young woman stop in her tracks. Marinette's eyes glazed over again, before slowly going back to him.

_"Let your soul take you where you long to be!" _He sang as Marinette stood still again. _"Only then can you belong to me..."_

Marinette's head lolled a bit. He came behind her, then tenderly held her face in one of his hands.

_"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication..." _He crooned quietly. _"Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation."_

Marinette felt a little put off, thus regaining some of her senses. She reached her hand towards his mask. Realizing what she was doing, he ducked out of the way and started leading her away, _"Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in! To the power of the music that I write..."_

He brought her to a covered object in the room. He took the tarp in his hands before singing, _"The power of the music of the night."_

He ripped the tarp away to reveal a modern wedding dress on a mannequin. It was a sleek serpentine dress in pearl fabric. The neckline was a v-neck and there was lace overlays on the skirt. There was also an ivory sash and bow in the back. The sleeves were all the way down to the wrists and had the same lace designs. The mannequin had a matching veil on its head.

Marinette, snapping out of her trance, eyed the wedding dress and she gave a quiet gasp and covered her mouth with both hands in awe.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He questioned as he came over to stand beside her. "It was my mother's."

"It is..." Marinette began. But the mental strain on her head from the day's events (and a few bouts of hypnotism) made her dizzy. She started to pitch backwards. Tikki flew over to her owner to try and push her up.

"Hold on, I gotcha!" He spoke, catching Marinette in his arms.

He lifted her up, brought her over to the bed, then put her down before pulling covers over her. She was immediately snoozing, her breathing even and quiet. Tikki yawned before falling asleep in Marinette's hair.

"Geez, you really tuckered her out today." Plagg stated.

"Yeah," Cat Noir agreed. "Let's let her sleep... _You alone can make my song take flight. Help me make the music of the night."_

He rose up, left the bedside, then went back to the pipe organ to continue working.

Hours passed, and Marinette was still dead to the world.

Meanwhile, Cat Noir was playing the pipe organ loudly and furiously, playing notes in succession that didn't sound very good. In fact, it was definitely tell-tale sounds of Expressionism-era music. The only times he'd stop playing was to write some things down, muttering to himself all the while.

Plagg was covering his ears as his owner kept playing.

"Kid, don't you think you're being a bit too... Oh, I don't know, _LOUD?_" Plagg complained. "You're gonna wake her up."

"I've been at this for a while and she hasn't stirred _once_." Cat Noir retorted as he kept pounding on the keys.

"Well, yeah, but... Honestly, I've heard you play piano tons of times before, but not like... Well, _this,_" Plagg continued. "It just sounds... Um..."

The kwami's owner sighed and said, "Plagg, _out with it_."

"...It sounds dreadful." Plagg stated.

"Don't question my musical artistry!" Cat Noir shot back. "Once this is complete, it'll make perfect sense to everyone."

Next to the bed was a paper maîche monkey music box. The box opened up and started playing a small tune. Marinette grumbled a bit as her eyes fluttered open. She groaned and sat up on the bed.

"Marinette! You're awake." Tikki spoke as she also woke up.

"Yeah... *Yawn* You too, huh?" Marinette asked her kwami.

"Do you remember anything that happened?" Tikki questioned.

"Yeah... We were in a boat on a lake... The lake was really misty and there were lanterns everywhere. And we were in the boat with... With Cat Noir!" Marinette spoke, remembering exactly whose company she was in.

She turned around, looking at her mentor. She looked to Tikki before whispering, "I wonder... Why is he still wearing a mask? Hawk Moth and Mayura are gone. It should be safe to take the mask off."

She gently got off the bed, then started tiptoeing closer to Cat Noir.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Marinette!" Tikki insisted quietly. "He's got his reasons for the mask."

"What's the harm?" Marinette questioned back as she got closer. She was just behind him. Her hands went for the mask, gently lifted it off...

_"AAAAAH!" _He screamed as he covered his naked face. Marinette's eyes widened at the sight.

He whirled on her with rage on his face, screaming, _"Damn you, Marinette!"_

Marinette backed away faster than her feet could carry her. Cat Noir chased after her, snagged her by the arm harshly, yanked her closer to him, and hollered, _"Didn't you know curiosity killed the cat?!"_

Marinette was shaking and her eyes were the size of teacup saucers. Tikki hid in Marinette's hair, also shaking in fear of Cat Noir's wrath.

_"So, you wanted to see THIS, huh?!" _Cat Noir accused, pointing to his naked face.

"I-I-I meant no harm, I swear!" Marinette squeaked. "I was wondering why you needed a mask..."

_"Doesn't matter!"_ He shouted. _"Now you'll NEVER be free! CURSE YOU, MARINETTE!" _

He shoved her away, forcing her on the ground before turning his back and falling to his knees. He was heaving for air, his hand on his face to cover it up.

"Kid!" Plagg shouted before going over to his owner.

Marinette was pretty spooked at his rage. He never snapped at her like that before, and that was the _last_ thing she was expecting...

"Hah... Pretty hideous, huh?" Cat Noir questioned wryly. "Can't even dare to look or _think_ of me, right?"

Marinette gave him a questioning expression before saying, "Well... Haven't we seen worse in super villains?"

"Akumatized victims are one thing, but _this_ is another situation altogether," He stated. "I'm just this hateful and hideous... _thing _that wants to find heaven, but I'm stuck here in hell, burning away."

Marinette and Tikki glanced at each other.

"...You know the story of "Beauty and the Beast," right?" Cat Noir asked quietly before slowly turning around to Marinette.

"Who doesn't?" Marinette questioned rhetorically.

"Touché," Cat Noir chuckled darkly before slowly beginning to crawl closer to her, but she backed away. "But just like Belle, fear and resentment can change into love. I'm sure with time, you'll be able to look past this... This monstrous-looking demon, and love the man within."

Marinette looked away in fear. Realizing he'd frightened her, Cat Noir turned away and heaved a sigh.

_'That's unlikely... I'm already in love with someone else.' _Marinette thought, her mind turning to her beloved Luka.

Marinette handed the mask back to him, saying, "I... I'm sorry for prying. I should've been more sensitive about this."

Cat Noir took the mask and put it back on his face before sighing.

"...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, either." Cat Noir replied.

"Hey kid!" Plagg shouted from the computer. "You might wanna look at the time."

He took out his phone, opened the screen, and Cat Noir said, _"Merde_, we've been down here for _that long? _It's so late!"

He stood up, took Marinette's hand, then lifted Marinette up off the ground.

"Come on, I'd better get you back. You have to get those Miraculous back to Master Fu, your friends are probably worried, and those two idiots running things up top are gonna be wondering where you are." Cat Noir said as he dragged Marinette back to the boat.

Upstairs, the fly director was teasing some of the ensemble members by holding a rope out to represent a noose. The girls were laughing and screaming at the same time, all enjoying the joke.

"Be careful. If you don't, the Phantom will catch you in his lasso!" He joked as he put himself _in_ the noose and pretended to choke.

Everyone laughed again.

Nearby, Nathalie sighed before shaking her head. She commented quietly, "People who talk about what they know discover they should've kept their mouths shut... Only it's too late by then. He'd better stop talking, and he needs to keep his hand at the level of his eyes..."

She walked away to get back to work.

* * *

Back in the office of the building, Bob was reading the newspaper, and he wasn't liking what it was saying.

"'Soprano Singers Vanish,' huh?! The cops are clearly incompetent. First Chloé walks out, and now Marinette's gone AWOL. And there hasn't been any clues about where she is!" Bob griped angrily. He threw the newspaper onto the desk and smirked. "Hah. It doesn't matter. Tickets are selling out like crazy. Scandals are worth _tons!"_

"This is terrible!" XY complained as he walked in. "Everyone's gonna walk out like this!"

"Oh come on, there's no way that's gonna happen," Bob disagreed. "Besides, there's no publicity like free publicity."

"But there's no cast." XY stated.

"It doesn't matter," Bob said, sorting through the mail. He saw two letters with black paw print seals on them. "Check out the queues! We both have one."

He handed one addressed to XY over to his son, meanwhile Bob had the other one.

_"'XY, what a charming gala. Marinette was in a word, sublime. We were hardly bereft when Ms. Chloé left. On that note, the diva's a disaster, must you cast her when she's seasons past her prime?!'" _XY read aloud in song.

He gave his dad a questioning look.

_"'Mr. Roth, just a brief reminder. My salary has not been paid. Send it care of the ghost by return of post. P.T.O. No one likes a debtor so it's better if my orders are obeyed!'" _Bob Roth read aloud, also singing.

The two of them looked at each other, confused.

_"Who would have the balls to send this? Someone with a childlike brain." _They sang together.

_"These are both signed O.G." _Bob commented.

_"Who the hell is he?" _XY asked angrily.

_"Opera Ghost." _The two of them sang together, realizing who their sender was.

_"It's really not amusing." _XY stated.

_"He's abusing our position. In addition, he wants money!" _Bob ranted.

_"He's a funny sort of specter." _XY spoke, crossing his arms.

_"To expect a large retainer, nothing plainer, he is clearly quite insane!" _The pair sang in tandem.

There was a knock at the office door.

"Come in." Bob stated.

The door opened, and Luka, holding another note with a matching seal came in.

"Excuse me, do you know where she is?" Luka asked.

"Chloé?" Bob asked.

Luka shook his head and said, "No, I mean Marinette. Any idea where she is?"

"No. Whatever gave you the idea that _we_ know where she is?" XY questioned.

"Don't play dumb," Luka spoke as he brandished a note. "Didn't you send me this note?"

"What note?" XY asked.

"As if we'd send you a note. Who does that in this day and age?" Bob spoke.

"Tell the truth," Luka ordered. "This is the note you wrote for me, isn't it?"

"What is it we've supposedly written, then?" XY barked as he snatched the letter out of Luka's hand.

"'Do not fear for Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. She's safe with the Angel of Music. Don't you dare try and see her ever again.'" XY read aloud.

All three men looked at each other in confusion.

"Okay, so if this rules you out as the ones who wrote that note, then who did?" Luka asked aloud.

"How-" Bob began, but there was a bang.

"Alright, where is he?!" A shrill voice demanded.

"Knew you couldn't stay away, Chloé." XY laughed as the haughty blonde waltz in.

"What's the matter now?" Bob asked.

"Your stupid sponsor!" Chloé barked. "I demand to see him this instant!"

"Right here," Luka said, raising a hand. "What do you want?"

"I have the note you wrote me and I am NOT amused!" Chloé snapped, shoving the letter into Luka's face.

"What? I didn't send a letter at all." Luka said as he snatched the note.

"As if you would." XY commented.

"You _dare_ tell me that you didn't send this letter to me?!" Chloé said, pointing at the letter.

Luka shook his head and he said, "Hell no."

"Well, what does it say?" Bob asked.

"'Your days as the Queen Bee of the Palais Garnier are numbered. This evening, Marinette Dupain-Cheng will be taking your throne as the lead soprano. Try to take her place tonight, and you'll regret it.'" Luka read aloud.

Everyone went quiet for a few seconds.

"...Hold it," Luka said as he took up the other letters and examined them. "Well, we can't figure out who wrote these notes by matching the penmanship. Everything's typed up, including the signature. But it seems like these notes were all written by the same person. See the seals?"

"...Yeah, they're all paw prints. What's that about?" XY asked.

Luka started to think, trying to figure out who the culprit of the letters was.

Bob and XY sang together, _"Far too many notes for my taste. And most about Marinette. All we've heard since we came is Dupain-Cheng's name!"_

Another knock at the door, then Nathalie came in.

"Marinette's returned." Nathalie informed.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Meeting adjourned, I guess." Bob Roth bitterly spoke.

"Where is she now?" Luka asked.

"I had Mlle. Césaire bring her home. Apparently they had plans tonight and they didn't want to cancel." Nathalie stated.

"I'll talk to her later," Luka stated. "So... Is she going to sing?"

"Another note." Nathalie said as she held up another note.

Everyone groaned.

"Okay..." Bob began as he took the note. "'Messieurs, I have now sent you multiple notes of the most civil nature, and yet my instructions have gone ignored. That said, as you are new, I will give you one last chance. Marinette Dupain-Cheng has come back to you, and I am anxious to see her rising in the ranks of her career. Thus, in the newest production of _Il Muto_, you will put Chloé in the role of the pageboy, while Marinette will be cast as the Countess.'"

"What?! Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloé screamed.

"There's more. 'Marinette's role calls for appeal and a lot of charm, which she definitely has. Meanwhile, Chloé's mouth needs to be kept shut, and since the role of the pageboy is silent, my casting is perfect. I'll be watching from my usual place in Box 13. But if these orders are brushed off, a _cat-_astrophe beyond your comprehension will rear its head. I remain your obedient employee, O.G.'"

"...Marinette..." Luka muttered, worried.

"Is this all a scam to help Marinette out?!" Chloé screamed. "I mean, who's responsible is obvious! The guitarist, her boyfriend!"

"Don't look at me," Luka protested. "I wouldn't do this! Besides, I got a note from this O.G. too! Why blame me?"

"What could ever happen next?!" Bob wondered aloud.

"Don't worry, blondie," XY said as he approached Chloé. "As if we'd listen to this nut job and follow his orders. There's only one lead soprano, and that's you."

"Oh please," Chloé retorted. "You've replaced me with Marinette, plain and simple."

"We're putting Marinette back on costumes where she belongs," Bob began. "You're our Countess, Chloé."

"Don't try appealing to me!" Chloé barked.

Meanwhile, Luka and Nathalie were talking about the situation.

"This is a bad idea," Nathalie began. "If they ignore those orders, only disaster will happen."

"...Why did Marinette fly away from my embrace?" Luka asked quietly. "I wonder where she went?"

While XY and Bob were placating Chloé and trying to persuade her to sing again.

Luka told Nathalie, "Marinette mentioned a vocal coach..."

"That's very likely..." Nathalie agreed.

"Come on, Chloé, who wants a costume designer when your public is screaming _your name__?_" Bob stated, stroking Chloé's ego.

"Yeah, no one wants Marinette. They're all beseeching for _your _voice." XY added.

"Lord help you if you don't do as ordered." Nathalie added.

"...If this madman is the same vocal coach... Then Marinette could be in _real _danger." Luka commented.

"Okay, fine! My song will live once more! I'll sing again!" Chloé said, finally agreeing to the pleas of the new managers.

"And Marinette will be the costume designer as usual." Bob began.

"So, this means war!" A voice shouted from out of nowhere. "If you refuse to adhere to these demands, then a _cat_-astrophe beyond your wildest fantasies _will _occur!"

Everyone heard this, but ignored the voice. Nathalie looked on in concern. She knew what could... Or more accurately, what _would_ likely happen that evening.

* * *

On opening night, Marinette was in the costume room again, working on some of the dresses and wigs for the show. Alya and Trixx were there, too.

"Feels good to be back working on the costumes," Marinette said to her kwami. "Singing was fun, but I'm glad Chloé's back as the lead soprano. Makes me feel like things are back to normal."

"Yeah, but girl, I still can't believe Cat Noir's your tutor, he's the "Opera Ghost," _and_ he got those two Miraculous back all by himself!" Alya began.

"I know," Marinette stated. "Thanks for the cover story. We needed an excuse to get the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous back to Master Fu."

"No problem, girl," Alya said. "I knew Cat Noir was strong, but for him to take out two super villains alone is nuts."

"...Speaking of whom, he certainly didn't _seem_ like his normal self," Marinette started. "He still joked around and made those awful puns, but..."

"But _what_, Marinette?" Trixx questioned.

"He isn't as perky and free-spirited as he used to be..." Marinette explained. "His fuse has _really_ gotten shorter... And when I saw him under the mask, he _totally _blew up at me."

She shuddered before hugging her arms and holding back a gag.

"He must've _really_ wanted to keep his identity secret, even though there's no more Hawk Moth or Mayura." Alya spoke up.

"Or his face... I don't think I've ever seen something quite like it..." Marinette murmured, her face going a bit pale.

"And judging by that reaction, it doesn't seem like it was a pleasant sight." Trixx reacted.

"Are you sure you're okay after that?" Alya asked.

"...I'm not sure." Marinette admitted.

"I saw Luka and the managers up in Box 13." Alya commented.

"What?!" Marinette questioned.

"Yeah. The show's in such high demand that they had to sell the seats in Box 13." Alya explained.

"Don't they know that that's a bad idea?" Marinette spoke. "That box is reserved for a reason..."

"They're gonna regret it," Trixx spoke. "I don't know what's gonna happen, but let's just hope everything goes off without a hitch."

"Just to be safe, I asked Nino to come tonight." Alya stated.

"Good call." Marinette praised.

"I know you're planning on hanging out back here for tonight, but why not go out and watch for a bit?" Alya suggested.

"It couldn't hurt," Marinette conceded. "Come on, Tikki."

The kwamis hid as the women left the costume closet to go to into the wings of the stage.

_"...This faithless lady's bound for Hades! Shame! Shame! Shame!" _The ensemble sang as they walked onstage from the left.

Chloé and another member of the chorus walked onstage from the right, past Marinette and Alya. She was dressed in a giant, poofy-yellow dress and powdered wig with a lot of makeup on her face, a la Marie Antoinette.

_"Serafimo - your disguise is perfect!" _Chloé sang while waving her fan.

Marinette saw Luka up in Box 13, along with XY and Bob Roth.

_'PLEASE let everything go well tonight!' _Marinette prayed on the inside.

Chloé and the ensemble girl continued the act. The two of them sat on the bed on the stage before Chloé kept singing.

_"Poor fool, he makes me laugh. Hahahahaha!" _Chloé sang, then vocalized her laughter. _"Time I tried to get a better better half!"_

_"Poor fool, he doesn't know. Hohohohohoho!" _The ensemble and Chloé sang, while giving noble laughter in musical fashion.

"Looks like tonight's going to be fine..." Alya said, breathing a sigh of relief. Marinette agreed with a nod.

_"If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go." _The group sang again and started laughing again.

_"DID I **NOT** ORDER THAT BOX 13 WAS TO BE LEFT VACANT?!" _A voice thundered from up in the rafters, scaring everyone. Everyone on stage was looking around, wondering where the person was.

"Oh shit... I think you spoke too soon." Marinette muttered as she shrunk back.

"He's here!" Serafimo's actress spoke as she got off the bed.

"Quiet! Your part is _silent! _You little toad..." Chloé hissed quietly before getting up and dragging the girl back to the bed with her.

_"A toad, Mademoiselle? I think that distinction belongs to_ you._"_ That same voice stated from above.

Chloé yanked the girl by the arm and they went back downstage, closer to the apron.

_"Serafimo - away with this pretense! You cannot speak, but kiss me in my- *CROAK*!" _

Chloé covered her mouth in embarrassment while everyone else went silent. However, there was laughter coming from above, which was sending chills down everyones' spines.

Alya and Marinette gave questioning looks, with quirked brows and opened mouths.

"Did Chloé just...?" Marinette began in askance.

"Croak?" Alya finished. "Yeah, she did."

Chloé went back onto the bed with her costar. Moving on to another part, she tried singing again.

_"Poor fool, he makes me laugh. Haha- *CROAK! CROAK*!" _Chloé began, only to start croaking again.

As Chloé helplessly continued to make frog noises, the same maniacal laughter continued from up in the ceiling.

_"Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA! You see?! She's crooning to summon the chandelier to fall!" _The Phantom's voice said as he kept laughing. And his laughter kept becoming more twisted and sickening.

Marinette started shivering with disgust and fear.

Chloé ran offstage crying. Bob Roth took a microphone and said to the audience, "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize. We will resume the performance in ten minutes' time, with the role of the Countess being sung by Mlle. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette immediately ran off for the changing room to get into costume. Luka left his seat to chase after her.

"In the meantime, we'll be entertaining you with the ballet from Act III of tonight's production." XY said as he went onstage to get calm.

In the dressing room, Marinette was scrambling to change.

"I've told them multiple times! I'm _not_ going to be a pro singer! I'm a designer!" Marinette griped as she slipped into the dress.

"I don't think Cat Noir cares..." Tikki commented. "He's adamant about you singing tonight."

"Alright, fine, but only if it's gonna stop that cat's yowling for a bit. The minute I get the chance, I-" Marinette began as she finished putting on the dress.

A cacophony of blood-curdling screams roared out from onstage, followed by shouts, more screams, and the sounds of running footsteps.

Marinette was about to leave to investigate when Alya burst in through the door, her face ashen.

"Marinette!" Alya shouted, shaken to the core.

"Alya, what's going on out there?" Marinette asked.

"Our chief of the flies... He... He...!" Alya began, not sure how to continue. "He's _dead!_"

"Dead?!" Marinette asked, her heart stopping for a second.

"Y-Yeah! He was dangling from a noose from the rafters! He dropped _right _in the middle of the ballet, scaring the _whole_ audience!" Alya reported. "The Phantom... No, Cat Noir... _murdered_ him!"

"How do you know it was Cat Noir?!" Marinette begged, grabbing Alya by the shoulders.

"Lights in the back showed his shadows doing the deed from start to finish!" Alya explained frantically. "You can't go out there!"

"But if I don't...!" Marinette began.

More footsteps were heard, the Luka barged into the room.

"Marinette, is everything okay?! Are you hurt?!" Luka asked.

"No, I'm fine," Marinette began. "But we're not safe in here. Alya, transform and cast an illusion out there on stage to calm everyone down."

"Got it, girl!" Alya said. _"Trixx, let's pounce!"_

Alya transformed into Rena Rouge, then ran for the wings of the stage.

"Luka, come on," Marinette spoke as she ran out of the dressing room, her boyfriend in tow. "We'll be okay on the roof!"

"Are you sure?" Luka asked.

"Trust me!" Marinette screamed.

The pair dashed off to the staircase to the rooftop.

* * *

**Okay, leaving the story off on a cliffhanger! Hope you guys liked it! Now, let's shoot for 12-15+ reviews before I post again. Like I said, the more of a positive response I get, the better. **

**Next time, Marinette informs Luka about everything, and then disaster strikes. But is that the last they've heard from Cat Noir, or is that cat scheming something else altogether? **


	3. All She Asks of Him

**Alright, thanks for the support everyone! Can we please keep it up? Let's shoot for about 18+ on the review goal, okay? That would mean about six reviews for chapter 3 if that's doable. **

**Either way, I hope you're enjoying this story, because I know I am LOVING how I'm twisting Phantom of the Opera around to fit Miraculous Ladybug!**

**Also, one reviewer has been asking me about the pairing endgame. The answer is Lukanette in this case scenario. If you're not okay with that, don't read this, then. **

**Now let's move on. In this chapter, Marinette tells Luka everything that's been going on. And not only does he vow to protect her, the two of them admit their love for each other. But like Cat Noir promised, disaster strikes, then all's quiet for nearly a year... And when he reappears, we _actually_ get Cat Noir's backstory. What's he plotting?!**

* * *

Marinette and Luka ran onto the roof, with the former slamming the door shut and locking it. She ran further onto the roof, gasping for air.

"What are we doing here, Marinette?!" Luka asked, approaching the young woman.

"It's too dangerous to go back down there, Luka!" Marinette pleaded frantically, whirling around to him.

"But we _have _to. The show..." Luka began.

"He's out for _blood_, Luka! _MY_ blood!" Marinette screamed. "His eyes are going to find me! His... His burning eyes!"

"Marinette, don't talk like that!" Luka spoke, trying to calm her down. "Please, don't think about it!"

"But if he has to kill _thousands_ of people..." Marinette spoke, her face ashen and her eyes wide with fear.

"This is just a waking nightmare, Marinette!" Luka insisted.

"He'll keep doing it! He'll keep killing! This isn't a joke!" Marinette screamed. "_Mon dieu_... Who's this... Hunter with the intent to kill?!"

"Yeah... Who's the voice of this person who you keep hearing?" Luka questioned, worried sick about his lady love.

"There's no escape, Luka! I can't get away from him!" Marinette cried, tears about to stream down her face.

_"And in this labyrinth where night is blind..." _The pair sang together. _"The Phantom of the Opera is there/here... Inside your/my mind!"_

"Marinette, there's no Phantom of the Opera!" Luka said, placing his hands on Marinette's shoulders.

"Well... I'm afraid you're both right _and_ wrong about that, Luka." Marinette began.

"Huh?" Luka questioned, quirking a confused brow.

"...There's no _real_ Phantom of the Opera, but... There _is_ Cat Noir." Marinette stated.

Luka's eyes widened.

"Cat Noir?!" Luka asked.

"Yeah. Cat Noir's the Phantom of the Opera!" Marinette stated, voice wavering.

"...That can't be..." Luka whispered in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it is." Tikki stated.

Marinette's eyes widened when a thought dawned on her. She remembered something Cat Noir said.

_"The best way I can sum it up is that I was given an entire basket of lemons, made lemonade, but got some of the juice in my eyes in the process."_

She turned to Tikki and said, "Tikki, do you think...?!"

"It's possible..." Tikki stated, shaking.

"What?" Luka asked.

"...There's a chance... That the Black Cat Miraculous somehow got damaged." Marinette suggested.

"Damaged?" Luka asked. "How would a damaged Miraculous be a problem?"

"A damaged Miraculous is a _dangerous _Miraculous, Luka!" Marinette started, about to cry. "We've already seen what happens when someone's abusing an _intact_ Miraculous! But a damaged one can create a variety of problems for the owner."

"What kind of problems?" Luka inquired.

"The Miraculous' powers can get screwed up, the owner's health can deteriorate from excessive use, or... In the absolute _worst_ case..." Marinette began.

"In the absolute worst case?" Luka repeated, prompting Marinette to continue.

"...In the absolute worst case, it can cause the person wielding it to _really _lose their mind. That's probably what's happened to Cat Noir." Marinette finished.

"We wouldn't be standing here talking about this if your Miraculous Ladybug fixed the problem." Sass stated.

"And Stoneheart's first two attacks would've been the first _and_ last we would've heard from Hawk Moth if it were that simple." Luka added.

Marinette gave a sad nod before continuing with, "That's right. And Master Fu told me that it'd be _BEYOND_ extremely dangerous... No, a _MAJOR DISASTER_ if the Black Cat Miraculous was used for evil! But a _damaged_ Black Cat Miraculous being misused... Oh, I can't even _think_ about it!"

"Marinette..." Luka murmured, worried.

"I... I just don't understand how Cat Noir could _do _this..." Marinette said, tears falling down her face. "He wasn't _that_ far gone when I last saw him... In fact, he seemed pretty stable to me."

_"You saw him?!" _Sass and Luka asked in shock.

"Yeah! We were down beneath the opera house... _It's a world of unending night. In a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness... Darkness..." _Tikki began, singing the end.

_"And we've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight?!" _Marinette cried in song, before hugging her shoulders and shaking. _"Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face in that darkness... Darkness..."_

"This is bad," Luka commented. "Hawk Moth and Mayura are still out there, and now we have a rogue Cat Noir?"

"Don't worry about Hawk Moth and Mayura," Tikki commented. "...Actually, Cat Noir took care of them."

"Excuse me?" Luka asked.

"I don't know _how_ it happened... He didn't give any details, but somehow Cat Noir got the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous back all on his own." Marinette explained.

"He did?!" Luka spoke, shocked.

"Yeah. You're the third person I've told about all of this." Marinette began.

"Third?" Luka questioned.

"I already informed Alya, and we gave those two Miraculous back to Master Fu while bringing him up to speed," Marinette explained, before tearing up. "But... _How?! Why?! _What triggered Cat Noir to... To flat-out _murder_... Something even _Ladybug_ can't bring someone back from if an akuma wasn't the cause..."

"So Hawk Moth and Mayura are gone for good, but now we have a _bigger_ problem: a maniac with the Black Cat Miraculous. We have to get it back." Luka summarized.

"Basically..." Marinette stated. "But... In his eyes, it's like he holds all the sadness in the world... Those eyes are threatening, but they're adoring, too... It's scary."

"Marinette. Oh, Marinette..." Luka breathed, worried and scared for her.

_"Princess..." _A voice beckoned.

Marinette and Tikki screamed, with Tikki flying into the comfort of her owner's hands. The designer squeaked out, _"What was that?!"_

Luka and Sass were looking around, trying to find the source.

"You heard it too, Sass?" Luka asked.

"Indeed, I did." Sass stated.

Marinette fell to her knees and started crying. Luka watched his girlfriend sadly. He walked over to Marinette, went down on one knee, then gently wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace.

"Sass." Luka prompted. Kwami and owner looked at each other. They nodded in union.

Luka helped Marinette stand up. She was still crying in his arms.

_"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you," _Luka crooned quietly as he gently rocked Marinette in his strong, gentle arms. _"My words will warm and calm you."_

Marinette's crying slowed as she listened to her lover's singing voice. She looked up at him, seeing his smile.

_"Let me be your freedom," _Luka sang as he gently placed his hands on her cheeks, then wiped Marinette's tears with his thumbs. _"Let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you. To guard you and to guide you."_

Marinette, feeling safe, smiled and sang back, _"Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true..."_

She placed her hands on Luka's chest and laid her head against it. She softly sang, _"That's all I ask of you."_

_"Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light." _Luka sang, winking at her.

Marinette blushed and giggled a bit - Luka was alluding to his name, which meant "light" in Latin.

_"You're safe. No one will find you. Your fears are far behind you." _Luka began as Marinette left his arms.

She approached the edge of the roof, then looked out to the Eiffel Tower, which was fully lit up.

_"All I want is freedom. A world with no more night," _Marinette sang before turning around to walk back to Luka. _"And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." _

Luka smiled back, before holding his hand out to her and singing, _"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude."_

Marinette put her hand into Luka's, then he brought her closer to him.

_"Say you need me with you here beside you," _He crooned as Marinette allowed him to wrap his arms around her from behind while still holding her hand. _"Anywhere you go, let me go too."_

Luka leaned in closer to Marinette's ear and quietly sang, _"Angel, that's all I ask of you."_

_"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime," _Marinette trilled back as she gently squeezed Luka's hand in response. _"Say the word and I will follow you."_

_"Share each day with me, each night, each morning." _The pair sang in tandem.

Marinette turned her body to face Luka, she looked at her beloved, then sang, _"Say you love me."_

_"You know I do." _Luka replied, his smile never faltering.

_"Love me... That's all I ask of you." _They sang together.

Luka gently cupped Marinette's face in his hand, then rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb. Marinette gave a nod before the two of them shared a kiss.

Sass and Tikki watched with delight, happy to see their owners so in love with each other.

With Marinette's consent, Luka deepened their kiss, sliding his tongue in her mouth. Marinette locked one of her hands into Luka's hair, gripping it tightly. He wrapped his other arm around her waist After a few more seconds, they came for air before diving back in to each other.

After a few more French kisses, they parted again before looking at each other lovingly.

_"Anywhere you go, let me go too! Love me, that's all I ask of you..." _They sang again once more before continuing their kissing session.

A few moments of peaceful silence before Luka's lips left Marinette's mouth before moving to her cheeks. The lovers shared a laugh, Luka picked his woman up by her waist, then spun her around before placing her down. He started smothering her cheeks with kisses again. Marinette took it all with joy, feeling safer than ever.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, forcing Luka to stop his affection. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but... Shouldn't we get back down there?"

"Oh, right!" Marinette remembered. "They're going to be wondering where I am, and Rena's illusions only last so long. Wait up for us, okay, Luka?"

She ran past Luka to the door, then unlocked it.

"Angel Song!" Luka spoke, getting Marinette's attention again. "..._Je'taime._"

Marinette blushed before getting an idea. She told Luka in song, _"Get your motorcycle. Be with it at the door!"_

_"And soon, you'll be beside me." _Luka sang as he caught up to her.

_"You'll guard me and you'll guide me." _Marinette trilled as they went back downstairs.

All was quiet on the roof. But a few seconds later, Plagg came out from behind the giant angel statue.

"Charming guy. But Sass's owners tend to be very charismatic," The kwami said with a sardonic chuckle. "You were _so_ worried about being replaced with a turtle when Carapace first showed up. Maybe you should've been more worried about a snake, huh, kid?"

Cat Noir came out, his face blank but wet with hot tears. He was angrily gripping the stem of a red rose he intended on gifting Marinette after the performance.

"Kid? You okay?" Plagg asked.

_"...I gave you my music. Made your song take wing. And now, how you've repaid me... Denied me and betrayed me..." _He sang quietly as he looked at the rose in his hand.

"Well, technically _you_ betrayed _her... _You _did_ go off on your own to defeat those two, and you didn't even tell her until about five years later..." Plagg began.

_"He was bound to love you when he heard you sing..." _His owner continued, ignoring the kwami's words. The young blonde fell to his knees while holding the rose. He began sobbing quietly. _"Princess... Princess..."_

_"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you..." _Luka and Marinette's voices sang in the background.

Cat Noir covered his ears while gritting his teeth.

_"Share each day with me, each night, each morning..." _The lovers' voices sang again.

He stood up, growled, and a snarl curled up onto his face.

"Kid, you gotta..." Plagg began, sensing something off.

_"SHUT UP! PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" _He hollered, then transformed. He took his staff, extended it, then lifted himself up onto the top of the statue. _"CATACLYSM!"_

He used his destructive power to destroy the rose. It turned into ashes and fell to the rooftop.

_"You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you!" _Cat Noir bellowed in song, tears streaming down his face.

Down on stage, the performance wrapped up with the curtain call. Marinette was front in center, wearing the Countess costume. She was taking a bow.

_"CATACLYSM!" _Cat Noir shouted from up in the rafters.

Marinette stilled, then looked up. The chandelier started shaking a little bit. The lighting piece started hurtling towards the stage. The rest of the cast ran offstage, but Marinette was stuck like a deer in headlights. Everyone in the audience and backstage was screaming for Marinette to get out of harm's way.

Marinette couldn't do anything but stand there, her Ladybug reflexes leaving her. She covered her eyes and braced herself for impact.

_"SHELLTER!" _A voice shouted.

Marinette opened her eyes to see Carapace - Alya's boyfriend, Nino Lahiffe. He had his shield up, creating a giant barrier with green hexagons. The chandelier hit the barrier, shattering to pieces. Everything in the opera house went totally black.

* * *

_After what was quickly coined "The Chandelier Disaster of the Palais Garnier," the managers understood that the Phantom was a legitimate threat. Having a murder occur during a live performance was a huge slap in the face. _

_Realizing that she had more important things to worry about, Marinette urged Alya, Chloé, Nino, and Luka to keep their mouths shut about Cat Noir being the Phantom of the Opera. They also decided to make regular patrols around Paris to track him down in order to get the Black Cat Miraculous back. Marinette made sure to inform Master Fu of what had occurred. _

_But the strange thing was that after the _Il Muto_ disaster, everything went quiet for a while. The next productions went off without a hitch, no notes from Cat Noir were received, and no one else was murdered. This only heightened everyone's anxiety for a little bit. However, after about one or two months without any incident, Bob Roth and XY went back to doing things their own way. _

_Chloé was back as lead soprano, meanwhile Marinette was back to designing the costumes, much to her relief. In the meantime, she was saving up money to start her own shop in another part of the city. Luka and the rest of Kitty Section were going strong with concerts around Paris, and they even got to work with Jagged Stone rather frequently (who, as it turns out, also used to play with Anarka, Luka and Juleka's mother). Alya and Nino were still happy together, the two of them now engaged to each other. Basically, everyone was going about their daily lives like nothing ever happened. They all assumed the Phantom had left for good. _

_About eight uneventful months later, though..._

Inside the Palais Garnier, Bob Roth and XY, dressed in some wacky costumes, were holding champagne flutes. The rest of the actors, staff, and technicians were also in costumes with masks and props. The room was beautifully decorated, with lots of sparkling lights and ornaments, including candles on the tables.

"Nice party, son," Bob began. "The decorations are on point, and the food is top-notch. And nice call asking Alya to get her boyfriend, DJ Shellback to do the music. Excellent work."

"Well, I do my best." XY bragged before giving a haughty laugh.

_"To us! Cheers!" _The two men said before toasting.

"It's too bad the Phantom can't be here." XY joked, before the two men threw their heads back in laughter.

XY and Bob Roth were making their rounds around the party, talking to everyone to butter them up to ensure they would stay to work. Everyone was happy, enjoying the party, all assuming that the Phantom was gone. In fact, the whole idea of a masquerade ball was an entire joke about the Phantom.

"What a night!" Alya said.

She and Nino were also dressed in costume (obviously ones that didn't reflect their Miraculous) while talking with Chloé, Nathalie, and some of the other staff members gathered up.

"Yeah, talk about huge turnout, babe." Nino agreed.

"It really makes me happy," XY said haughtily. "Totally something to feel satisfied with. Anyway, it's awesome having the cream of the crop here."

"Everyone keeping their eyes on each other is entertaining, too. I couldn't have picked a better theme for this party." Chloé agreed.

"Everything we've been scared of is _finally_ over, dude," Nino said, wrapping his arm around Alya's shoulder. "It's all in the past."

"Yeah, glad that the Phantom is gone," Bob said. "Eight months of Elysian quiet is a good start, but I'll be even happier if there's no incidents for an entire _year_."

"Totally." Alya added.

"It's perfect. No more demanding notes, no more threatening figures in the rafters, and a brand new chandelier!" Bob Roth said as he gestured above them.

The chandelier had been replaced with an exact replica. Like nothing ever happened to the original one.

"We can finally breathe," Nathalie stated. "I propose a toast."

_"Cheers!" _The group said as they toasted their champagne glasses.

"Hey, has anyone seen Marinette or Luka?" Alya asked as she picked up a feta-stuffed olive hors d'oeuvre and ate it.

"Those two are probably making out in the dressing room." Chloé commented, an offhand wave in annoyance.

She wasn't _completely _off-target. Luka was waiting outside the costume closet. He was dressed as a prince, minus the crown. The outfit was teal with navy blue and gold accents. He also had a cape on and a teal mask on his face. Since he was alone, Sass was also out.

"Hurry up, Marinette," Luka said with a big smile. "The party's started already."

"Coming!" Marinette said as she came out.

She was dressed in a beautiful champagne pink ballgown with a three-tiered skirt, an off-shoulder neckline, and it had white flowers embroidered. Around her neck was a thin silver chain with a simple ring on a silver band, with a standard clear diamond in a cushion cut. She also had a white peony with pink accents in her hair, which was in a bun that had a tendril falling a little bit. She had a pale pink mask covering her face with a smaller white peony on the side opposite to the one in her hair.

"...Stunning." Luka said.

"Thanks, Luka," Marinette thanked, with a blush. "Isn't it romantic? Us being secretly engaged to be married? Just think about it!"

"Yeah, it _is_ romantic," Luka agreed with a chuckle. "But it just sucks that it's secret. I understand why you want to keep it on the DL, though."

Marinette gave a nod.

"Trust me, I don't want to keep this from Alya and my parents. But we can't take any chances with Cat Noir still out there." Marinette stated.

"Don't worry, we'll find him and recover the Miraculous," Luka said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "And when we do, we'll start making our wedding plans."

Marinette blushed before saying, "Yeah. But until then, any talks about our engagement stay outside this building."

"Got it." Luka stated before escorting his fiancé out to the party, the two of them locking arms.

"Hey, we're here!" Marinette said, calling out to the group.

"Marinette! Damn, girl, you look great in that dress! Make it yourself?" Alya questioned.

"Naturally," Marinette said, beaming with pride. "You look pretty good yourself, Alya!"

"Thanks, Marinette," Alya began. "So, the costumes for the next show are coming along very well!"

"Yeah, they are," Marinette agreed. "I just need some more time before they're done."

"We know you've got this, dudette." Nino said, giving Marinette a thumbs' up.

"Thanks, Nino." Marinette thanked.

The music changed to a slow song, and the lights dimmed.

"Oh, a slow dance. Come on, Alya!" Nino said, pulling Alya by the wrist to the dance floor.

"Shouldn't you be on the DJ stand, Nino?" Alya asked playfully.

"I have the stand on shuffle," Nino said nonchalantly. "The music will just play songs at random. I'll get back to mixing later."

"Okay!" Alya agreed as she started dancing with Nino.

"Shall we dance, Marinette?" Luka asked as he held his hand out.

"Yes!" Marinette agreed, putting her hand in his once more.

The two of them went on to the dance floor and began waltzing. The lovers' eyes were glued to each other. The music, slow and romantic, made the pair feel like they were in their own world. Safe, happy, and alone.

They did an underarm turn, then Luka dipped Marinette down a bit before lifting her back up.

Marinette moved her hands up Luka's arms before clasping her hands behind his neck. Luka saw the smoldering, passionate look in her eyes, how they were looking at him flirtatiously.

Luka chuckled, getting the hint: she wanted him to kiss her.

They started leaning in to each other, their lips pursing. Alya noticed, then urged Nino to stop and watch. The latter was watching casually while Alya was already recording the whole thing on her phone.

But an explosion from the top of the stairs killed the moment. Everyone screamed, then whirled around to behold the absolute worst thing they could imagine: there at the top of the stairs was Cat Noir, dressed in a fancier version of his usual suit, which consisted of a black robe/cape combination and this time the mask was covering his entire face aside from his mouth and eyes.

_'Oh no! He's back! I was afraid of this!'_ Marinette thought, scared. Luka held her close while glaring at the rogue cat.

He took out his silver baton and extended it, deliberately smashing the DJ stand, wrecking the equipment and cutting the music. He started walking down the stairs.

_"Why so silent everyone?" _He sang, a cocky tone to his voice. _"Can I assume that the cat got your tongue?"_

Everyone struggled to hold back groans at the joke.

Luka gently pushed Marinette behind him, holding his arm out to protect her. Alya was still recording on her phone, but she, Chloé and Nino were ready to bolt and transform if necessary.

_"Have you missed me, everyone? I have written you an __opera!"_ Cat Noir crooned as he took out a thick binder in black with string tying the book from under his robe. _"Here I bring the finished score. Don Juan Triumphant!"_

He threw the binder at XY and Bob Roth; it slapped the former of the two in the face before falling to the floor. Roth scrambled to pick it up while XY was rubbing his face.

_"I advise you to comply. My instructions should be clear. Remember: there are worse things than a shattered chandelier." _Cat Noir sang again as he pointed up to the lighting piece.

Everyone looked at the chandelier, then back to the Phantom.

Cat Noir moved his head around, his eyes scanning the room. His green orbs zeroed in on Marinette. She dared to peek out at him from behind her beau.

He made a gentle beckoning gesture with his finger. Marinette gave him a cold glare before clutching to Luka's arm. Cat Noir's scowl deepened, then he sternly pointed to the spot in front of him, clearly signaling, "Come here right now!"

Marinette glanced at Luka before swallowing a lump in her throat. She came out from behind him, then cautiously began to approach Cat Noir.

"Marinette!" He spoke, trying to get her to stop.

Marinette slowly came face-to-face with her former partner. She tried to give him a look that made it clear that she wasn't going to submit to him.

Cat Noir smirked, but then his eyes landed on the chain and ring around her neck. His eyes popped open in surprise, then he looked over Marinette's shoulder to angrily glare at Luka.

Cat Noir hooked the chain on his ring hand before yanking it off. He held the ring up and dangled the chain while staring death at Marinette. Her eyes widened, sucking in her breath.

Cat Noir sang out, _"Your chains are still mine! You belong to me! Cataclysm!"_

He destroyed the ring and chain, turning it into ashes before letting them fall to the floor. Marinette's eyes leaked tears as Cat Noir took out a smoke bomb, then threw it to the ground, causing a smokescreen.

_"NO! My ring!"_ Marinette screamed as she fell to her knees. She then began crying.

"Marinette!" Alya shouted. She cut the recording on her phone, then ran to her best friend to comfort her. Luka ran over to them, too.

Everyone else minus the other heroes started screaming and running around for cover as the smokescreen cleared. Cat Noir was gone, but the lights went dead aside from the candles.

Luka noticed something out of his peripheral vision: Nathalie standing like a deer in headlights. She started to leave quickly.

"Alya, get Marinette out of here," Luka instructed before turning to where Nathalie was. "I've got an investigation of my own to conduct."

"Got it, Luka!" Alya spoke as she helped Marinette stand before escorting her out of the party. Luka started running after Nathalie.

"Nathalie!" Luka shouted, prompting the older woman to stop.

"Don't ask me anything, Monsieur. I don't know any more than anyone else around here!" Nathalie insisted.

"You're bluffing," Luka stated. "You know more than you're letting on. I have a good read on people, so I know that you know something!"

"I don't know a thing. And even if I did, I won't talk! I'll wind up cat food..." Nathalie began as she tried to flee again.

"Nathalie, _please! _If you _don't_ talk, we _all _wind up cat food! Please, tell me. For _everyone's_ sakes! For _Marinette!_" Luka insisted.

Nathalie, her back still to Luka, sighed, turned around and said, "Fine."

She hugged her arms before starting her story.

"It was back when I was working for Gabriel Agreste full-time... Back when Hawk Moth was still active..." Nathalie began. "Another super villain was defeated at the hands of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Gabriel and I were on our way to his son, Adrien's bedroom to check on him."

Luka gave a nod, prompting Nathalie to continue.

"When we got there, we didn't see Adrien... But Cat Noir," Nathalie revealed. "He was climbing back into the room, as if he'd become seasoned at it. Gabriel wasn't expecting the opportunity... So he transformed."

"Wait, what?!" Luka asked. "Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth?!"

"Yes... When Cat Noir saw the older man transform, he was speechless. I remember the words Cat Noir leaked out of his mouth - "F-Father... You're Hawk Moth?! But how?! M'lady ruled you out as a suspect!" Once he said that and I saw that cat cover his mouth, everything went to hell in a hand basket... And father and son just had it out."

"The son of Hawk Moth." Luka spoke in horrified epiphany.

"Yes," Nathalie stated. "The two of them duked it out, but for Gabriel... no, Hawk Moth, the fact that he was fighting his son, who he'd been trying to make happy by bringing his mother back by trying to acquire the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, really hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn't think straight, and there was no way he would akumatize his own son. I tried to intervene with one of my sentimonsters..."

"You were Mayura?!" Luka balked.

"Yes," Nathalie confirmed. "I was."

"Go on..." Luka urged sternly.

"But before I could, Gabriel told me not to do it. As for Adrien, the rage he was feeling at the idea that his father had been the one responsible for all the terror that Paris went through, no matter how noble the intent was, caused him to snap. He didn't hold back one nanogram."

"Blind rage towards a father on one end, the guilt of putting your flesh and blood in danger on the other... It couldn't have ended well." Luka spoke.

"It didn't," Nathalie continued. "In the middle of the fight, Cat Noir called upon his Cataclysm to try to destroy Hawk Moth's cane. But in defense, Hawk Moth hit the Black Cat Miraculous wrong, damaging it. Cat Noir fell down, his face landed on his ring hand..."

"You mean...?!" Luka began, nearly choking.

"Indeed. He was deformed via his own Cataclysm," Nathalie confirmed. "But it wasn't just his face that took a hit. The Cataclysm did a real number on his psyche, too. Hawk Moth was horrified at what he'd accidentally caused. Unfortunately, this only fueled Adrien's anger. He went on a rampage, destroying everything in the room, and we were powerless to stop him."

Luka was stunned silent.

"We were soon unconscious from some of the debris falling on us. The next thing we knew, we woke up, our Miraculous were taken, the room was a disaster area, and Cat Noir had fled out the window he came in... We tried to find, not to get the Miraculous back, but to make sure he was okay..." Nathalie continued. "Once I discovered him under the Palais Garnier, I took a part-time job here while still working for Gabriel. Just to keep an eye on Adrien."

_"Mon dieu..." _Luka gasped, covering his mouth.

"I've already said more than I should've! Please, don't make me say any more!" Nathalie begged as she kept running. "And there have been too many accidents already!"

"Accidents?!" Luka snapped in irony. "Nathalie!"

He chased after the woman in an attempt to get more answers out of Nathalie.

* * *

The next day, Bob and XY were going over the instructions for the production, and they weren't amused in the least.

"Ridiculous! Have you seen this score? It's completely nuts!" Bob Roth complained, waving the thing in the air.

"This is insanity, I won't disagree... But if we don't cooperate with this..." XY began, shuddering in fear.

"We can't afford another lost chandelier!" Bob Roth griped.

"Here's another note." XY said as he threw a memo over to his father.

_"'Monsieur Roth, re my orchestrations. We need another first bassoon. Every note's overblown, and that third trombone has to go! The man could not be deafer, so preferably one who plays in tune!'" _Bob Roth recited.

He slammed it down in frustration, then looked at his son, asking about his memo.

_"'Dear XY, vis a vis my opera. Some chorus members must be sacked. If you could, find out which, has a sense of pitch. Wisely though, I've managed to assign a rather minor role to those who cannot act!'" _XY read aloud.

"This is an outrage!" Chloé hollered as she stormed into the office.

"Now what?" Bob Roth questioned.

"Have you _seen_ how small my part is?" Chloé complained. "It's an insult to my artwork!"

"If you can even _call_ this whole thing artwork," Bob spoke. "More like trash to me."

There was another knock on the door, then Marinette came in, escorted by Luka.

"Ah, here's the woman of the hour," Bob said, greeting Marinette. "Marinette, you've gotten the biggest part in the production."

"Why does it have to be Marinette? I mean, she's not even a hardcore singer!" Chloé griped.

"I'd have to agree," Marinette stated. "I'm a designer, not a singer."

"But if you don't sing..." Bob began.

"So you're going to do this?" Luka questioned the older manager.

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter." XY stated.

"And come on, Marinette doesn't have the balls to be behind this," Chloé taunted. "As if!"

"Yeah, and I want nothing to do with this scheme of his, either." Marinette admitted.

"This is your duty, you can't back out of this!" Bob Roth ordered.

"I can't," Marinette stated, crossing her arms. "I don't want to do this and I have nothing to do with this whole thing!"

Seeing that she was nearing tears, Luka held Marinette in his arms, hugging her close. She buried her face into his shoulder. He said, "Marinette, you don't have to do this..."

He looked up and glared at everyone in the room, forcing them to take a step back. Luka coldly added, "They can't _make_ you."

Everyone swallowed a lump, but another knock at the door rang out. Nathalie came in and said, "I'm sorry to cut in, but we have another note from the Phantom."

Everyone groaned in annoyance.

Nathalie read the note aloud, starting with, _"'Fondest greetings to you all. A few instructions just before rehearsal starts.'"_

The older woman turned to Chloé, then read, _"'Miss Chloé must be taught to act. Not her normal schtick of strutting 'round the stage.'"_

Chloé let out an indignant shout at that, then Nathalie continued.

_"'Our Don Juan must lose some weight. It's not healthy in a man of that guy's age,'" _Nathalie recited. She then turned to XY and Bob Roth. _"'And my managers must learn that their place is in _an office_, not the arts.'"_

The two of them tensed and paled.

Nathalie looked over to Marinette, then started, _"'As for our star, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng...'" _

Marinette went whiter than a sheet, then started shaking.

_"'No doubt she will do her best - it's true her voice is good, but if she should wish to __excel, she has much still to learn, if pride will let her return to me, her teacher, her teacher...'" _Nathalie recited. _"'Your obedient friend and angel.'"_

The proverbial lightbulb went off in Luka's head. He gasped a little, then snapped his fingers loudly before saying, "I have an idea! The answer to this has been hiding in plain sight."

Everyone looked at Luka, waiting for an explanation.

"This could be the chance to trap this stray cat." Luka continued.

"This I have to hear." Bob Roth ordered.

"We perform his work and follow his instructions to the letter, but _we'll_ be the ones with the ace in the hole," Luka started, then turned to Marinette. "If Marinette performs, then he'll come, right?"

"I see..." Bob Roth continued, smiling wickedly. "We bar the doors and call the cops, making sure they're armed."

"We get in touch with Ladybug and some of her teammates," Luka continued, looking at Marinette. "And when the curtain falls, that cat will get put down."

"I like this idea!" XY said.

"Well, I for one don't!" Nathalie protested. "This is absolute madness!"

"It's not madness if we succeed." Bob Roth disagreed.

"I promise you that there's no way to tip the scales into your favor!" Nathalie stated.

"You stick to ballet and secretarial duties!" XY snapped.

"Listen, Nathalie, instead of trying to dissuade us, why not help us out?" Luka questioned.

"I can't do that!" Nathalie spoke.

"Don't make any excuses, woman!" Bob Roth barked.

"Are you telling me that you're on _his _side?" Luka questioned, crossing his arms and giving Nathalie the stink eye.

"Certainly not!" Nathalie spoke. "Listen, I have no bad intentions, but if you go through with this, you can't be too lax. He's murdered, and we've all seen it!"

Everyone in the room was arguing about the situation, meanwhile Marinette was off to the side, trying to keep it together. Chloé was silent, standing next to her friend and trying to keep her unfiltered mouth from saying something too mean.

"I made a promise to protect Marinette!" "This will be the end of that cat's terror!" "It's not gonna end well, I promise!"

Marinette, tears about to shed, stood up suddenly and shouted, _"ENOUGH!" _

This got everyone's attention, and Marinette turned wet, fearful eyes to her fiancé.

_"Luka, I'm scared! Don't make me do this! It terrifies me, don't put me through this ordeal by fire!" _Marinette sang as Luka went over to her and held her hands for comfort. She started crying into his chest. _"He'll take me, I know! We'll be parted forever, he won't let me go!"_

Everyone looked at Marinette sadly. She was the one at the center of these events, so they knew that she was the one at the most risk if their plan fell through. Luka looked at Marinette with worry.

_"What I used to dream, I now dread," _Marinette sang, referring to her goal of finding Cat Noir to figure out what happened. _"If he finds me, it won't ever end! And he'll always be there, singing songs in my head. He'll always be there, singing songs in my head..."_

"Wow... And _I_ thought I had to worry about crazy Queen Bee fans." Chloé commented.

Marinette ran out of the office. Luka gave chase.

Once he left the office, he saw Marinette sobbing into her hands, Tikki consoling her.

"Marinette," Luka said as he approached Marinette. "I understand that you're scared... I don't blame you for not wanting to do this."

"I don't, either." Tikki agreed.

"I concur." Sass said.

"But you said it yourself: we have to get the Black Cat Miraculous back. So long as he has it, the damage to it is going to keep eating away at his sanity, and he's going to keep haunting us until the day we die. Make no mistake about it." Luka said tenderly.

"It's not just the fact that I'm scared, Luka," Marinette said, turning to her beau and wiping her tears away. "Cat Noir encouraged me not to give up when we faced Stoneheart the second time. He inspired me to keep going as Ladybug. But now I've got no choice but to betray him by putting my life on the line for my own freedom? How am I supposed to give an answer?!"

Luka put a hand on her shoulder.

"Angel Song... You know I care," Luka said as he hugged her close. "I don't want you to do something that scares you or anything that makes you unhappy... I want you to feel safe, secure, and happy. But just like Ladybug's the only one who can capture akumas and amoks, I think you're the only one who can do this. Everything's riding on you."

Marinette gently pulled away from Luka.

"I... I can't do it!" Marinette cried before turning and running away.

"Angel Song!" Luka shouted after her.

He grew stern in expression, snarling and gripping his fists in rage towards Cat Noir.

"Alright, Cat Noir, if you can hear me, then this means war!" Luka said to the ceiling. "But this time, _you're_ going to be the one who suffers the catastrophe!"

Luka then dashed after Marinette to try and console her.

* * *

**Alright, that's a wrap for chapter 3! Now, like I said, the next chapter is going to come up once my story gets about 18+ reviews. Is that doable for everyone? I hope to see that before I give you chapter four! Speaking of which...**

**In the next chapter, rehearsal scares Marinette to death, so she escapes to familiar territory to clear her mind and vent her frustrations. But Tikki notwithstanding, she isn't alone...**


	4. Past the Point of No Return

**Alright, let's have the next chapter! Coming up, after a _very disturbing_ rehearsal, Marinette flees the Palais Garnier to get a break in a place where she feels peaceful. But just like a cat stalking its prey, she isn't alone for very long...**

**Okay, now for yet another review goal! Let's say about 19-23+ since the last one wasn't met, okay? Please and thank you!**

**And NO SPOILERS for Loveater, please?! I haven't watched it because it aired out of order! No comments about it, please! **

* * *

Everyone was at rehearsal for the show, but Marinette was still scared out of her wits.

Needless to say, she was only going through the motions of the rehearsal, not really getting into it.

_"Those who tangle with Don Juan-" _The tenor began, but he was singing it wrong. The notes were a bit off.

"No!" The Maestro said as he caught something wrong with the tenor's singing. "Monsieur, _this_ is the phrase. _Those who tangle with Don Juan!_"

Chloé scoffed and said, "What does it matter? The tenor's singing makes it sound _bearable_ at the least! Otherwise, no musician worth their salt would sing _this_ crap!"

"Chloé, are you certain you should say that in the presence of the composer?" Nathalie questioned.

"Of course I can say it!" Chloé scoffed again. "I mean, that damned cat isn't even here! Even if he was, I'd-"

"Are you _sure_ about that, Mlle.?" Nathalie questioned once more.

Chloé went stiff.

"Okay, once more from the top." The maestro said before going back to the piano.

_"Those who tangle with Don Juan-" _The tenor sang, still off-key, soliciting a groan from everyone in the crowd.

"Wrong notes..." The maestro complained.

"Does it matter?!" Chloé snapped again. "No one will know the notes are wrong and no one's gonna give a damn!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Chloé." Marinette squeaked.

"Come on, Marinette," Chloé spoke. _"Those who tangle-"_

The piano started playing the song without the maestro even standing in front of it. Everyone looked at it suspiciously. The lights in the room turned red, one spotlight hit the piano, and everyone sans Marinette started acting more robotic. They all stood in proper positions and raised their faces.

Marinette stood up, backing away from the group. Her face was ashen, she was shaking, her materials fell from her hands, her heart was accelerating at a million beats per minute, etc.

_"Poor young maiden, for the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets! You will have to pay the bill, tangled in the winding sheets!" _The entire chorus sang, including Chloé.

Marinette screamed and dashed out of the room, slamming the door before trying to catch her breath.

"Marinette!" Tikki squeaked as she flew out of hiding. "Are you okay?"

"No, Tikki! I can't take it anymore! I need to get out of here for a while!" Marinette cried to her kwami.

She ran out of the building in a hurry, ducked behind another building, then shouted, _"Tikki, spots on!"_

Ladybug used her yo-yo to zip along the star-sparkled city skyline faster than she could breathe.

She soon made it to the park. The usual beauty of the park was marred by the darkness, the barren trees in the winter, and the mist everywhere.

The red and black-spotted woman landed in front of a familiar monument: the statue of herself and Cat Noir that the city dedicated to them back in their early years. Ladybug gave the statue a sad look before sighing.

Marinette looked around to see some of the statues of the other heroes that the city decided to create in honor of her allies. Since there were so many heroes and corresponding statues and they were all in the same place, the city officially renamed that particular park the "Heroes' Garden." Since she was the first one to officially become a member of the team, Rena Rouge had one. There was also Carapace, Queen Bee, Bunnix, Ryuuko, Pegasus, King Monkey... Ladybug's eyes stilled when Viperion's statue came into her sight.

_"Spots off." _Ladybug spoke, before changing back into Marinette.

"What are we doing here?" Tikki asked.

"...I needed a break, and to get as far away from the Palais Garnier as possible," Marinette admitted as she gave Tikki a macaron to eat. "And this was the first place I thought of."

The twosome looked at the Ladybug and Cat Noir statue nostalgically, but Marinette was still sad about it.

"It's so weird... I've been doing this for so long. Being Ladybug, fighting super villains and sentimonsters, cleansing amoks and akumas, feeling guilty about having to ditch people to save Paris, picking out teammates to help us... All alongside Cat Noir..." Marinette commented.

"Up until he went AWOL and decided to take down Hawk Moth and Mayura all by himself without talking to you first." Tikki spoke.

Marinette went up to the Viperion statue, then propped herself up onto it, sitting on the stone.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Hawk Moth was still around," Marinette stated, about to cry. "I wish he was still akumatizing people! I wish he was still trying to steal our Miraculous for whatever reason, I wish he was still causing chaos everywhere... I mean, that was considered _normal_ in Paris for a while! Why did things turn out the way they did?!"

"I don't know, but everything happens for a reason, Marinette," Tikki advised. "For example, you never intended on it happening, but there was a reason Chloé got the Bee Miraculous by accident. If you didn't let her be Queen Bee, she wouldn't have grown into the woman she is now. The same applies to your relationship with Luka - there was a reason the two of you met and fell in love. So there must have been a good reason for Cat Noir fighting Hawk Moth and Mayura alone."

"You may have a point, but..." Marinette murmured. "But that's no justification for _anything_ he's done now."

"It's not _totally_ his fault," Tikki pointed out. "The damage to his Miraculous is making his sanity decline and it's only getting worse. If that wasn't the case, then he clearly wouldn't be doing these things."

"...If only Cat Noir had contacted me beforehand, or better yet, didn't do anything about Hawk Moth and Mayura at all!" Marinette began.

"We can't use Viperion's Second Chance to change things now, and it's too dicey to get Bunnix involved either." Tikki added.

Marinette gave a nod before saying, "...But I still wish I knew what to do. I can only go to Master Fu for advice so many times before I start taking charge on my own. He can't hold my hand forever."

She got off the statue and started walking away... Unaware that someone was hiding behind Ladybug and Cat Noir statue.

_"Wandering belle, so lost, so helpless. Yearning for some guidance." _A voice sang from out of nowhere.

Marinette stiffened up and started looking around wildly. She looked at every statue and monument, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?!" Marinette demanded loudly. "Friend or foe?!"

_"Have you forgotten your angel?" _The same voice echoed.

"No...!" Marinette gasped, realizing that she was followed by Cat Noir. "You're no angel! You're a monster!"

It wasn't just Cat Noir that tracked her to the Heroes' Garden. Nearby, a black and cyan motorcycle was parked and hiding behind Bunnix's statue was Luka. He'd used the tracking feature on his lyre to find Marinette and followed her to check on her.

_"Too long you've wandered in winter..." _Cat Noir sang.

"No! Not listening! I'm not listening!" Marinette said, covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Marinette..." Luka muttered.

_"Far from my far-reaching gaze..." _Cat Noir crooned again.

"She's going back..." Luka spoke to Sass.

_"I'm trying my best to forget you!" _Marinette sang.

_"You resist." _Cat Noir sang once more.

_"But my/your soul obeys!" _They sang together.

"Crap, he's got her in a trance again." Luka stated.

_"Angel of music, I/you denied you/me, turning from true beauty!" _Marinette and Cat Noir sang in tandem.

_"Angel or demon? Still, he calls her, luring her back from the grave." _Luka sang.

_"Angel of music, do not shun me/my protector!" _Marinette and Cat Noir sang.

_"Angel, or dark seducer? Who are you, strange angel?" _Luka sang, questioning Cat Noir without the black cat knowing it.

_"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music..." _Cat Noir sang, coming out from hiding and holding his hand out to Marinette.

Marinette's eyes went blank, her arms fell to her sides, but she reached out her hand to Cat Noir. Tikki was immobilized, too.

_'Shit! Gotta do something!' _Luka thought before locking eyes with Sass.

_"Sass, scales slither!" _Luka spoke, transforming into Viperion. He then pulled the snake head back on his bangle before saying, _"Second Chance!"_

He gave himself five minutes before he could do it again. But when he peeked out of his hiding spot, Marinette was already dangerously close to Cat Noir. He was about to take her hand.

"Crap!" The snake spoke. He pulled his bangle back, saying, _"Second Chance!"_

He went back to the moment when he activated his Miraculous before standing up and dashing out.

_"Angel of Darkness, cease your torment!" _Viperion shouted, wedging himself in between Marinette and Cat Noir.

_"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music..." _Cat Noir continued singing.

"Marinette, wake up!" Viperion hollered, waving a hand in front of Marinette's face.

But she was still hypnotized and slowly making her way to Cat Noir. She passed by Viperion like he wasn't there.

He picked up his lyre with the intention of fighting Cat Noir off. But when his fingers went over the strings, he noticed that the notes he played seemed to make Marinette pause and come out of her trance for a second.

But her eyes went back to blank again before she kept going to Cat Noir. Viperion immediately started strumming the strings again to test his observation. Marinette paused once more.

He pulled the bangle back again and said, _"Second Chance!"_

Once again, he was back at the moment he came out of hiding.

He jumped out next to Marinette, then started playing his lyre to counter Cat Noir's hypnosis. Marinette's eyes were slowly regaining their highlights.

When he saw his music was working, he brightened, then immediately added to his work and said, "Marinette! Marinette, listen to me, you have to snap out of this! You know that this is Cat Noir gone insane, but the reality is much worse than that! He's Hawk Moth's spawn!"

Cat Noir continued calling out to Marinette to lure her in, repeating, _"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music." _

Viperion started playing louder, then whipped his head to the black cat, shouting, "Let her go! _Pour l'amour de Dieu,_ _LET HER GO! **MARINETTE!**_"

After one last high note on his lyre, Marinette's eyes regained their light and she immediately turned to her boyfriend.

"Viperion!" Marinette shouted as she ran into his arms and hugged him.

They started kissing each other for comfort, relieved.

"Well, well, well, looks like you've figured me out, snake boy!" Cat Noir said, giving a sardonic and slow applause. "Those words certainly hold some spirit."

He threw something at Viperion. Seeing it coming, he pulled away from Marinette and jumped out of the way. The little pellets hit the ground, causing explosions of fire.

Marinette ran a little way's away for safety.

"More tricks, _Adrien?_" Viperion spoke, addressing the phantom by his real name.

Cat Noir paused and his eyes went wide. Marinette looked at Viperion in surprise.

"Let's see how far that bravado of yours is going to go!" Cat Noir shouted as he jumped off the statue, pulled out his staff and extended it. He made to smash it over Viperion's head.

Viperion pulled out his lyre as a shield before doing a roundhouse kick against Cat Noir. The black cat took out more fire pellets and threw them at the snake, but he once again tumbled out of the way as they hit the ground and exploded.

"More deception and violence?!" Viperion questioned as he kept running to duck and dodge Cat Noir's fire bombs.

"No! Viperion!" Marinette shouted.

"Keep coming this way!" Cat Noir taunted, an insane smile and laugh on his lips.

He pounced on Viperion, who spun around to throw Cat Noir off. The two Miraculous owners clashed weapons, trying to overwhelm one another.

"She'll love me, and I won't let anyone else take her!" Cat Noir hissed.

"Don't you get it?! You can't win her love by keeping her as a prisoner!" Viperion stated, before dropping down and flipping Cat Noir off him.

"Viperion, no!" Marinette shouted.

"Stay back, Marinette! I've got this!" Viperion shouted before using his lyre to block more of the fire bombs.

Marinette didn't take his advice. Instead, she shouted, _"Tikki, spots on!" _

After transforming, Ladybug started using her yo-yo as a shield.

Viperion lost sight of Cat Noir, who'd taken to hiding in the shadows. He held his lyre out and started looking around.

"I'm right here, snake boy! Your angel of death!" Cat Noir hissed from hiding.

Cat Noir made to attack from behind, but Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped itself around Cat Noir's arms.

"Leave him alone!" Ladybug ordered.

Cat Noir started hissing, but Ladybug yanked him and started spinning him around. She then threw him a fair distance away.

"Let's get out of here!" Viperion said as he scrambled to his feet and ran over to Ladybug.

"This way!" Ladybug shouted as she grabbed Viperion's hand.

_"Don't you dare leave!"_ Cat Noir hollered.

They didn't listen. Ladybug shot her yo-yo out and zipped away, Viperion hanging on tight to her.

"Fine then," Cat Noir growled. "Then I'm declaring war on the both of you! _Cataclysm!"_

He used his destructive power to wreck every single statue in the Heroes' Garden, minus the one of him and Ladybug. He then threw his fire pellets on the ground, setting the whole place ablaze.

Ladybug and Viperion watched the Heroes' Garden burning down from a fair distance away.

"The garden... At least most of it is repairable with your Miraculous Ladybug," Viperion said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Once this is over, we'll clean up this cat's mess."

"I know." Ladybug said.

Viperion looked at his fiancé in worry, meanwhile she was just giving a solemn, angry look to the scene.

"I accept your challenge, Cat." Ladybug stated coldly.

The two heroes leaped away to get to safety.

* * *

Opening night, and everyone was aware of their parts of the plan. Marinette had called in some of her teammates and asked them to transform as soon as she gave the signal. Viperion was the only one who was already transformed to lead the charge. Normally Marinette appointed Rena Rouge as second-in-command, but Viperion had a bit of a bigger stake in the situation.

Viperion was working with Roger and the rest of the police, going over the plan with them.

"Okay, is everyone aware of their instructions?" Roger asked some of his subordinates. "Once I blow the whistle, everyone take their positions, then we'll make sure every single point of exit is sealed."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bob Roth asked Viperion.

"Not like we have any other suggestions." XY argued.

"May I give the order, Viperion?" Roger asked.

"Do it." He said with a firm nod.

Roger blew his whistle and all of the cops went to every point of exit to seal it.

"You in the pit," Viperion said to the officer in the orchestra pit. He knelt down. "Do you have a clear view of Box 13?"

"Yes, sir." He replied.

"Good," Viperion began. "When the time is right, shoot to kill but only if absolutely necessary."

"Are you sure we can't just use tranquilizer darts? I'd feel better about it, honestly." The officer questioned.

"Tranquilizer darts are slow to kick in. He'd be able to get away before falling asleep. And with the suits being able to make us near-impervious to most kinds of damage sort of make it impossible to do that, but I like how you're trying to think of other solutions." Viperion replied.

"But how will I know when to shoot?" The officer asked.

"Trust me, you'll know." Viperion spoke.

"Viperion, are you sure about this? Is Marinette gonna sing?" Bob Roth asked. "And where's Ladybug?"

"Not to mention Couffaine. He's MIA, too. You'd think he'd want to see the nutcase stalking his fiancé get arrested."

"Ladybug has other matters to attend to, so she put me in charge," Viperion confirmed. "This isn't an akumatized super villain, nor is it a sentimonster that we're dealing with, so it's no issue. You're just gonna have to trust me."

He turned to Officer Roger and said, "Give the command."

_"Are the doors secure?" _Officer Roger shouted.

A door was being shut from one of the other exits to the far left of the theater.

_"Secure!"_

Closing door noise from far right.

_"Secure!"_

"Doesn't he understand Cat Noir can destroy the doors?" XY asked.

"Come on, that snake's gotta have some brains." Bob Roth stated.

Viperion was trying his best not to tear the Roth family a few new ones.

Another closing door nose from the back exit.

_"Secure!" _

_'That's every point of entry minus the main doors,' _Viperion thought. _'Time to bait that cat.'_

Music started playing out of nowhere. The people were looking around, trying to find its source, but it was almost as if it were everywhere.

_"I'm here. The Phantom of the Opera!" _Cat Noir crooned from up in the rafters to the far left. Everyone was looking in that direction.

_"I'm here! The Phantom of the Opera!" _He sang once more, this time from one of the balcony seats on the right.

_"I'm here!" _The left balcony seats.

_"I'm here!" _Box 1.

_"I'M HERE!" _Box 13.

**_*BANG!*_**

_"YOU FOOL!" _Viperion shouted to the officer in the orchestra pit. "You'll kill someone! I said only when the time is right!"

"But-" The officer began.

"_NO BUTS!_ For once, the snake has a very good idea_.__ Seal my fate tonight. I hate to have to cut the fun short, but the joke's wearing thin. Let the audience in. Let my opera begin!" _Cat Noir sang from his hiding spot.

Viperion ducked behind the curtain while everyone else went to their seats.

The performance began. The scene was Don Juan's place and most of the ensemble were wining, dining, and acting drunk.

_"Here the sire may serve the dam! Here the master takes his meat! Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat!" _The ensemble sang.

Viperion and Marinette were watching from the wings offstage to the right, the latter in her stage costume. They had uncomfortable expressions on their faces from the music.

"Ugh, this music is terrible. It's like listening to disco," Viperion complained, covering his ears. He turned to Marinette. "You sure you wanna do this, Marinette?"

"Too late to back out now. And what choice do we have?" Marinette replied. "We have to get the Miraculous back. If that means I have to offer myself up on a silver platter for Cat Noir, then I'll do it."

Viperion gave Marinette a loving smile, then said, "I should've known. You're as unbelievably brave as ever, Marinette."

Marinette blushed, her eyes going askance. She said, "Thanks, Viperion."

Seeing everyone else leaving offstage right, Marinette tensed as she watched the tenor and the man playing Passarino on stage, singing about the plan to bed the girl (Marinette) later on in the scene.

When she watched the tenor enter the curtained area on the stage that looked like the door to the bedroom while Passarino's actor stood next to it. Marinette swallowed a lump in her throat. That was her cue...

The tenor was watching from behind the curtain on stage, waiting for his next moment out. But he felt someone pull on the scruff of his neck, and he could've _sworn_ he heard a hiss...

Marinette started walking onstage, singing, _"No thoughts in her head but thoughts of joy. No dreams in her heart but dreams of love!"_

She started walking around, sashaying and swaying her hips while walking around the table where the feast was laid out. While she was smiling, inside she was on high alert and her eyes were looking around. While the audience thought that she was looking around and admiring the imaginary décor of the room, what she was _really_ doing was keeping an eye out for Cat Noir.

_"Master..." _Passarino's actor sang to the door.

_"Passarino. Go away, for the trap is set and waits for its prey." _A different voice said from behind the curtain, sending his costar away, offstage left.

Marinette stilled. The curtain opened to reveal a cloaked man with a cowl over his head. He was approaching Marinette.

"Uh-oh..." Viperion said, his face growing stern.

"What's up, Viperion?" Rena Rouge whispered.

"The timbre changed..." Viperion muttered. The vixen paled. Dating a DJ, Rena knew enough about music to know what her boyfriend's fellow reptilian hero meant.

_"Second Chance." _Viperion said, activating his power.

Marinette was still sitting on the bench on stage as she kept her wits about her.

_"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish, which till now has been silent... Silent." _The tenor sang as he walked up to the table, then picked up a prop goblet.

Marinette was on the far side of it, holding an apple in her hand.

He walked around to the other side to try getting closer, only for Marinette to stand up and walk further away.

_"I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge," _He sang. _"In your mind, you've completely succumbed to me. Dropped all defenses, completed succumbed to me." _

He approached Marinette and gave her the goblet. She gingerly took it, noticing something off.

_"And now you are here with me. No second thoughts. You've decided. Decided." _He sang.

Marinette pretended to take a sip, still playing her point.

_"Past the point of no return," _He sang as he used his hand to get Marinette to look at him. _"No backward glances. This game of cat and mouse is at an end." _

The heroes in the wings were watching closely, looking for an opening to help Marinette.

_"Past all thought of if or when," _He sang as Marinette tried to put the goblet down, but he took her wrist into his hand. She tried backing away, but to no avail. _"No use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend."_

He did a turn with her and Marinette spun around while moving around the table.

_"What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door? What sweet seduction lies before us?" _He sang again as he kept approaching Marinette and trying to get closer to her.

_"Past the point of no return. The final threshold. What warm unspoken secrets will we learn beyond the point of no return?" _He sang as he kept getting closer to Marinette. He started moving his hands up her arms, only for Marinette to turn slightly green in the face.

Everyone in the audience was none the wiser about the situation, but in the offstage left wings, Nino, Chloé, and their teammate Kagami Tsurugi were watching anxiously.

"I hope this works, dude." Nino whispered.

"It will," Chloé stated. "I mean, it's _Ladybug's_ plan. There's no way it'll fail."

"Agreed," Kagami stated. "Though I imagine even if we _do_ hit a snag, we'll be able to prevail irregardless."

_"You have brought me to that moment when words run dry," _Marinette sang as she stood up and walked away from the bench. He was sitting down on it. _"To that moment when speech disappears into silence. Silence..." _

Viperion and Rena Rouge held their weapons up, a seed of anxiety growing in their stomaches.

_"I have come here hardly knowing the reason why. In my mind I have already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent." _Marinette sang as she kept her eye on the apple while making sure her guard was still up.

She looked at her costar, while sashaying over to him.

_"And now I am here with you. No second thoughts. I've decided. Decided..." _Marinette sang as she came up behind him while putting her hand on his shoulders. She then stood up, went to one of the heads of the table, then leaned her hands and body against it.

_"Past the point of no return. No going back now," _Marinette sang, not only reciting her lines, but acknowledging that there was no way to get out of this fight with Cat Noir. _"Our passion play has now at last begun." _

Marinette continued approaching him, singing, _"Past all thought of right or wrong. One final question: how long should we two wait before we're one?"_

Marinette started rubbing her hands up and down the "tenor's" arms and hands.

_"When will the blood begin the race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last..." _Marinette sang as she moved her face up against his face.

Her heart thumped and her stomach dropped, but she continued to sing, _"Consume us." _

Seeing her freeze, Viperion's heart jumped into his throat.

"It's him, isn't it?" Rena asked.

"Yes. Marinette, get out of there! _Get out of there!_" Viperion hissed from the wings as he rapidly gestured to his fiancé.

Marinette made to run for the wings, but her costar grabbed both her wrists before yanking her back.

_"Past the point of no return!" _The pair sang. He in determination, she in fear and desperation. They were in a big of a tug-o-war with each other. Marinette was trying to escape, while he was holding on fast.

_"The final threshold! The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn!" _They sang together.

Marinette managed to throw his hands off before making some distance. Everyone's kwamis came out, ready for a fight.

Marinette started to tentatively approach him, an idea in mind.

_"We've passed the point of no re-" _They sang, with Marinette finishing up by flipping the cowl over to reveal Cat Noir. _"Turn!"_

Cat Noir was frozen in place, his eyes glued to Marinette, who was giving him a blank, yet hostile stare. Realizing he'd been caught, Cat Noir whirled around to try to flee, but Marinette was about to pull the rug out from under him.

_"NOW!" _Marinette screamed.

_"Wayzz, shell on!"  
"Pollen, buzz on!"  
__"Longg, bring the storm!"  
_

_"Venom!" _A voice shouted and Cat Noir was confronted with three heroes: Queen Bee, Ryuuko, and Carapace.

"You're not going anywhere, you sick cat!" Queen Bee spoke, her top a pulsing bee stinger.

"Indeed." Ryuuko agreed, brandishing her sword.

"You've caused enough trouble, dude! We're taking you down!" Carapace stated, his shield up.

Marinette turned on her heel to try and run... But realizing Cat Noir wasn't following, she paused before tentatively turning around.

Cat Noir had his back to the other heroes, looking at Marinette with sad, passionate eyes.

_"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..." _Cat Noir sang as he started stepping closer to Marinette. _"Lead me, save me from my solitude..."_

The heroes let their weapons down, surprised and a little confused at Cat Noir's musical speech.

_'Oh GOD, he HEARD that?!' _Marinette thought, her eyes wider than dinner plates. Viperion's reaction was similar.

_"Say you want me with you here, beside you..." _Cat Noir continued as he came up close to the young woman.

Desperation in his eyes, he took out a ring box from his pocket, then crooned, _"Anywhere you go, let me go too!"_

He dropped to one knee and opened the ring box, revealing a rose gold band with a pink diamond in an marquise cut. Marinette gawked at it, a look of disgust on her face. He then took it out of the box and slid it onto her ring finger.

_"Princess, that's all I ask of..." _He continued, but Marinette took his mask off in calm anger.

Everyone started screaming when they saw the damage to his face. The flesh was rotted and hideously scarred on the upper cheek where the Cataclysm hit, there was scarring around that side of his mouth all the way down to his chin, his lower lip was swollen and purplish in color, and his tan was clearly disappearing on that side, too.

The heroes were grossed out. Carapace's face turned the same shade of green as his suit, Queen Bee visibly and loudly gagged, sticking her tongue out, and Ryuuko had to cover her mouth, about to throw up.

Humiliated, Cat Noir pounced on Marinette, causing her to scream. In a split-second, they disappeared through a trap door on the stage that was clouded by a smokescreen from another smoke bomb.

_"NO! MARINETTE!" _Viperion hollered. He fiddled with his bangle, pulling the snake head back on it. _"Second-"_

"There's no need for that, Viperion!" Nathalie spoke, snagging his wrist. "I know where they're going!"

"Can I trust you? You were Mayura! How do I know this isn't a trap?" Viperion asked.

"You _have_ to trust me, but remember: keep your hand at the level of your eyes!" Nathalie informed.

"Say what?" Viperion questioned.

"It's his lasso. He used it on the fly manager," Nathalie spoke. "Now hurry up or it'll be too late!"

Viperion followed Nathalie backstage and he let her take the lead as she ran down some stairs.

There was another scream and one of the ensemble girls found the tenor dead, lying on the ground with his head in a noose.

"Oh crap!" Carapace spoke, his eyes wide at the sight. _"Babe! We need an illusion!"_

_"On it!" _Rena Rouge said as she took out her flute. She blew into it and created a giant yellow light ball. _"Mirage!"_

The stage lit up and everything on the stage was happening as if noting was wrong. The crowd _seemed_ to calm down, but they were still pretty tense.

_'Save our leader, Viperion!'_ Everyone thought, worried about Marinette and hoping Luka would bring her back safely.

* * *

**Okay, chapter four is over! Yes, I assume chapter 5, the finale, is gonna be a lot shorter under the circumstances, but work with me here. **

**Now, let's set another goal for comments.**** The last goal wasn't met and I was a little disappointed because that was my favorite chapter to do. ****Let's see about ****19-23+, okay?**

**Please and thank you!**


	5. The Final Threshold

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Okay, time for the finale of Cat in the Rafters! Hope you enjoyed this story! I know I did. I wanted to post this before Cat Blanc and Félix aired, and again, no spoilers for the Season Finale, please!**

**Now, Marinette's been abducted by her partner-gone-mad and it's up to Viperion to rescue her. Marinette would transform, but she's sort of stuck in a wedding dress... Yeah, unless you've seen Phantom of the Opera, you'll have to read the chapter in order to get the idea.**

* * *

Cat Noir was dragging Marinette down the stairs to his lair again. Marinette was struggling to break free.

"Let go of me _this instant!_" Marinette screamed, tears in her eyes and fighting back with all of her might. _"Please!"_

_"Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair! Down we plunge to the prison of my mind! Down that path into darkness deep as HELL!" _Cat Noir screamed in song.

He rounded on Marinette in a rage, snagging both her wrists and getting his face into hers.

_"Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place?! Not for any mortal sin, but for the wickedness of my abhorrent face!" _He sang.

"I never asked, and didn't you put yourself in this position, Cat Noir?!" Marinette asked. "I-I-I mean you chose to run away and live down here, didn't you?!"

Cat Noir's harsh scowl melted a little bit. He opened his mouth to say something, but...

_"Track down this maniac, he must be found!" _A mob sang from up above, getting their attention.

Marinette smiled. Cat Noir on the other hand...

"See what I mean?!" Cat Noir asked angrily before continuing to drag Marinette down. _"Hounded out by everyone! Met with hatred everywhere! No kind words from anyone! No compassion anywhere!"_

"That isn't true, kitty! Remember what we went through! The fans, the importance to our team, _everything!_" Marinette pleaded, trying to reason with him.

"Of course I remember, but that doesn't change anything!" Cat Noir shouted as he kept dragging Marinette into the dark. _"Princess! Princess, why?! __WHY?!"_

_"HEEEEELP!" _Marinette screamed, still trying to get away from him.

Nathalie and Viperion soon made it to the banks of the lake.

_"The hand at the level of your eyes." _Nathalie sang, lifting her hand up to her eyes.

_"The level of my eyes..." _Viperion added, his hand up at his eyes.

He looked across the huge body of water in surprise.

"Wow. When Marinette told m- er, her fiancé that there was a lake beneath the Palais Garnier, I guess it wasn't a dream." Viperion spoke.

"His home is across the lake," Nathalie spoke as she pointed away. "I'm too scared to keep going. Believe me, I tried."

Viperion gave Nathalie an unamused look as the older woman started walking away.

"Nathalie," Viperion said, getting her to pause. "Thank you."

Once she left, he sighed in annoyance.

He held out the side of his lyre and pulled up the contacts section on the phone feature, contacting Carapace.

Up in the opera house, the chaos was ensuing and people were gathering up pitchforks and lanterns. The heroes were trying to calm everyone down, but the illusion Rena conjured up faded and it was pointless to cast another one.

"Ugh, that snake better not waste any more time!" Queen Bee griped.

"He's doing the best he can, I'm sure!" Rena insisted.

Carapace's shield started going off, with Viperion's symbol on it. He opened up the screen on the shield.

"Viperion," Carapace said. "You okay? Any luck finding Marinette?"

"I'm on the right track, and I'm almost at that cat's lair. Just gotta get across the lake." Viperion summarized.

"Lake? What lake?" Carapace asked.

"There's a lake underneath the building," Viperion said. "One of those things you gotta see to believe. How's it going up there?"

"Not so well," Carapace admitted. "The illusion wore off, everyone else is trying to shout for calm, but nothing. People are forming a mob."

"What is this, the Dark Ages?" Viperion questioned. "They're up against an insane Miraculous owner with a _damaged_ Miraculous."

"Either way, you might wanna hurry up and get Marinette out of there, dude," Carapace stated. "I don't think these peeps are gonna be too patient. They're already following where you went. So save Marinette and get Cat Noir's Miraculous back _stat!_"

"On it." Viperion said before hanging up. He then collapsed the lyre, turning into a rebreather. He held it to his mouth before diving into the lake to swim out to Marinette's rescue.

_"Track down this maniac, he must be found! Track down this maniac, he must be found!" _A mob sang as they started to follow where Viperion went.

The mob was headed up by some of the senior staff who'd been under Adrien's control, meanwhile the heroes were covering the rear, trying to reason with everyone.

_"Hunt out this animal who runs to ground! Too long he's preyed on us, but now we know! The Phantom of the __Opera (the Phantom of the Opera) is here deep down below!" _They sang. _"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera..."_

Down in the lair, Cat Noir was looking at his fingernails, suddenly interested in them. In his other hand was the wedding veil. There was a gate up around the lair.

"Hurry up!" He barked out to a curtained area.

"Okay, okay!" Marinette spoke as she came out from behind the curtain. She was wearing the dress she saw down there before.

Cat Noir examined her and he said, "Beautiful."

Marinette rolled her eyes before singing in demand, _"Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?! Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?!" _

Cat Noir sighed and said, "Claws in."

"Adrien, stop this!" Plagg scolded as he came out of the ring. "This is coercion!"

"Zip it, Plagg!" Adrien ordered before turning to Marinette. _"That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood has also denied me the joys of the flesh. This face - the infection which poisons our love."_

Marinette scoffed, turned her back on him, and said, "You're wrong about that."

He scowled before coming closer to Marinette. He sang, _"This face which earned a father's fear and loathing. This mask, this dark unfeeling scrap of clothing."_

Marinette looked at him with a pitying face. Tikki had a similar expression.

_"Pity comes too late!" _Cat Noir crooned as he forced himself onto Marinette, roughly putting the veil on her head. _"Turn around and face your fate!" _

He spun her around and pointed to his naked face, then sang, _"An eternity of THIS before your eyes." _

Marinette sighed, then sang, _"This haunted face holds no horror for me now. It's in your soul where the true distortion lies."_

Adrien's face softened at Marinette's point. She was looking him in the eyes the way she used to back when they were still a team. He looked down in contemplation.

Sloshing of water was heard nearby.

_"Wait. I think, mon cher, we have a guest," _Adrien spoke while snagging her arm. His eyes glared out to his peripheral vision. _"Sir." _

There was Viperion, soaking wet, glaring death at the cat, hanging on to the bars of the gate, his lyre ready for a fight.

"Viperion!" Marinette shouted.

_"Sir, this is indeed an UNPARALLELED delight," _Adrien sang sardonically as he started moving away from Marinette. He made his way to the chair. _"I had rather hoped that you would come. And now my wish comes true. You have truly made my night."_

He sat like a petulant child on the throne, meanwhile Marinette was glaring at her former partner.

Viperion ran his free hand through his hair to get the water out and he hissed out, _"Free her! Do what you like, only free her! Have you no pity?!"_

_"Your boyfriend makes a passionate plea." _Adrien sang back with a sarcastic spit.

"Luka, there's no use arguing with him!" Marinette said, trying to reason with her fiancé.

_"I love her! Does that mean nothing? I love her!" _Viperion crooned, looking Marinette in the eyes. _"Show some compassion!"_

_"THE WORLD SHOWED NO COMPASSION TO ME!" _Adrien shouted back.

_'He's deluding himself,' _Marinette thought. _'The damage to the Miraculous is REALLY screwing wtih his sanity. I showed him compassion. Our teammates did too. The citizens loved him! Where did he get this idea? Wherever he got it, he's gone too far _and_ he's too far gone.' _

_"Chérie, chérie!" _Viperion sang, looking at Marinette desperately. _"Let me see her!"_

_"Be my guest, sir." _Adrien said as he pulled a lever to lower the gate.

Gaining entry, Viperion breathed and said, _"Sass, scales rest."_

Changing back into Luka, he dashed over to Marinette and held her in his arms. Sass floated to Tikki.

"Tikki, are you okay?" Sass asked.

"We're good. He didn't do anything other than make Marinette get changed." Tikki confirmed.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Luka asked soothingly. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Marinette said as she relaxed into his embrace. "He just forced me into this dress."

"I have to admit, it looks good on you." Luka spoke.

Marinette giggled as she looked her fiancé in the eyes.

_"Sir, I bid you welcome. __Did you think that I would harm her?__" _Adrien sang as he took up something from behind the throne before walking towards Luka from behind.

Marinette and Luka were very focused on each other, and they were about to share a kiss. Unfortunately, Luka forgot about something...

_"Why should I make her pay for the sins which are yours?!" _Adrien sang as he caught Luka in a noose and magically made it suspend in mid-air.

_"NO! LUKA!" _Marinette screamed with tears in her eyes as she saw Luka dangling. He was kicking his legs and struggling to get out. Cat Noir was laughing like a maniac.

_"Get your motorcycle now! Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes! Nothing can save you now," _Adrien sang, before his face lit up with an idea. _"Except of course, Princess..."_

"Me?!" Marinette asked as she looked between her fiancé and her ex-partner.

"That's right, Princess," Adrien cackled before running over and grabbing her wrists. He forced her onto her knees on the floor. _"Start a new life with me! Buy his freedom with your love! Refuse me and you send your boyfriend to his death!"_

Marinette looked at him in fear.

_"This is the choice!" _Adrien sang as he let go of her and shoved her to the ground. He went over to his pipe organ before pounding the keys. _"This is the point of no return!"_

Marinette looked at him in fear as she saw the monster her partner had become.

"Plagg, stop him!" Tikki shouted to Plagg. "He's mad!"

"It's out of my hands, Sugarcube! I've tried reasoning with him, but the damage to his sanity is irreversible at this point!" Plagg apologized.

Marinette's fearful look turned to pure hatred and rage. She started breathing heavily.

"You know... There was a time when I cried for your sake, and felt bad about your situation... But now all of that's gone! Now those tears are filled with nothing short of hatred!" Marinette spoke, angrily.

"Angel Song... I'm so sorry!" Luka grunted. "I tried to save you, but nothing came out of it."

"There's no point crying for help," Adrien taunted, a wicked smile still on his lips. "Too late to run from me, too."

Marinette threw the veil off her head, shouting in tears, "You traitor! I had faith in you! You and I were a team! But now I have to say farewell to my fallen partner and former friend! Everything that's happened between us, any and all affection we might've felt for each other is _GONE!_ Deader than dodos!"

"Marinette, if you tell him what he wants to hear, then everything's over for me! I don't want to live my life without you," Luka grunted again. "Besides, he's put you in a no-win situation!"

"He's right. Either way you choose, I win this game," Adrien cackled before looking at Marinette. "So Princess, what will it be? Are you going to stay with me in exchange for his life, or is he gonna die?"

_"YOU SICK CAT!" _Luka shouted, struggling to break free from the noose. _"You're asking her to LIE to you to save MY sorry ass?! That's messed up!"_

"Kitty..." Marinette whimpered.

"We're past the point of no return, Princess. This is the final threshold." Adrien stated.

_"DAMN IT, MARINETTE! TELL HIM "NO!" I DON'T CARE IF I DIE, JUST TELL HIM NO!" _Luka hollered. _"DON'T MAKE YOURSELF A PRISONER JUST TO GET ME OUT OF THIS BIND!" _

_"Luka doesn't deserve this! Nobody does!" _Marinette shouted. "You're being unreasonable!"

"That he is, Marinette. He's crossed the line now." Plagg agreed.

Not listening to his kwami or Marinette, Adrien stated, "Mr. Snake's life over there is the goal. You need to earn that prize."

"No, don't, Marinette... I... Fought my hardest to set you free!" Luka stated, still trying to get out of the mess he was in.

Realizing he wasn't going to relent, Marinette stated, "I... I was so stupid! You... The one person who never lied to me unless it was about our secret identities... I was a fool to think you were the same guy from back then. But you're not - not anymore!"

Adrien rounded on Marinette and shouted, _"You try my patience!" _

Marinette gasped and jumped back.

Adrien recoiled when he saw he was scaring her. The blonde pulled back before civilly demanding of her, "Choose. _Now_."

Marinette looked between Adrien, Luka, the kwamis, and back again a few times. Her face fell, and she started thinking.

Luka had informed her of what Nathalie told him. Adrien's restrictive lifestyle was like being in a cage and he was miserable. Being Cat Noir was his only way out. Luka also told her all about Cat Noir's father being Hawk Moth, Nathalie being Mayura, the events that caused the Black Cat Miraculous to get damaged, the reason that Gabriel became Hawk Moth in the first place. _Everything_.

Marinette knew it: the damage sustained by Adrien's Miraculous wasn't his fault, and thus the erosion to his sanity wasn't totally within his control either (that is, unless he took off his Miraculous after the fact and stopped using it altogether, but that was beside the point). But the way he was acting and all of the horrendous things he'd done was inexcusable.

On the one hand, he was all alone and was like that most of his life, even _as_ Cat Noir. But at the same time, his actions isolated him. So he broke out of one cage in a fit of fury only to put himself back into another one of his own design. But rather than try to break out again, he tried dragging others (her) into it against their will.

It was sad.

She sighed before singing, _"Pitiful creature of darkness. What kind of life have you known?"_

Marinette started walking closer to him, before singing, _"God give me courage to show you you are not alone."_

"What are you-?" Adrien began cautiously, only for his lips to be smothered by her own.

Marinette's hands were on his cheeks, her lips right on his.

Luka's eyes were the size of grapefruits, the kwamis were watching in disgust, and Marinette didn't seem bothered by anything.

Marinette broke the kiss and gave Adrien a hug.

Adrien was shell-shocked at the contact. The warmth of Marinette's embrace made him think of his mother. He was shaking, and something in him broke. He started to shed tears.

Marinette broke away and looked Adrien dead in the eyes.

His face still wet from the tears, Adrien calmly said, "Plagg, get me the dagger."

"Adrien-" Plagg began.

_"Get. Me. The. DAGGER!" _Adrien ordered.

Plagg swallowed a lump in his throat before flying off to parts unknown. He emerged with a long dagger in his hands.

"Plagg, you can't!" Tikki pleaded. "He'll kill Luka!"

"You know how it goes, sugarcube." Plagg spoke.

He flew over to Adrien and gave him the knife.

Adrien took the handle of the dagger and started walking over to Luka. The blue-haired guitarist paled. Was Adrien going to slit his throat or something?!

Marinette watched in horror as Adrien's stoic expression failed to change. He held the dagger out, aiming at Luka. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut.

She heard a sound and then there was a thud and groan.

Marinette opened her eyes to see Luka on his knees, the noose cut. Adrien had dropped the dagger, his back to the pair.

_"Track down this maniac! He must be found!" _The mob sang from above.

Marinette ran over to Luka. He threw the rope away, stood up and caught Marinette in his arms.

"Luka! You're free!" Marinette squealed.

_"Take her, forget me, forget all of this." _Adrien sang.

_"Who is this monster, this murdering beast (hunt out this animal who runs to ground!)!" _The mob kept singing.

_"Leave me behind, forget all you've seen." _Adrien sang, ordering them.

The pair looked at Adrien, who was walking back to his throne area.

_"Go now! Don't let them find you!" _He sang once again, instructing them to get out of there.

_"Rescue Marinette! Save our designer!" _The mob continued singing from above.

_"Take the boat, swear to me never to tell..." _Adrien began to sing.

The pair of lovers kept watching as Adrien sat himself on his chair.

_"Too long he's preyed on us, but now we know (this creature must never go free)..." _The mob kept singing.

_"T__he secret you know of this angel in hell!" _Adrien screamed in song.

They watched as Adrien seemed in agony.

_"The Phantom of the Opera is there deep down below!" _

_"GO NOW!" _Adrien hollered, ushering the two away. The pair kept running out of the lair, their kwamis in tow. _"GO NOW AND LEAVE ME!" _

Adrien was catching his breath, then he fell to his knees in front of the organ. Plagg was the only one left in the lair with the blonde.

"Nice to see you've finally wised up, Adrien." Plagg stated.

The young man didn't respond. Music started playing. He turned around and saw the music box that was sitting on the bedside had opened up and started playing.

_"Masquerade..." _Adrien sang sadly. He stood up and started walking to the music box. _"Paper faces on parade. Masquerade."_

He sat down in front of the box and watched as it continued playing.

_"Hide your face so the world will never find you." _He quietly sang.

Luka and Marinette had made it to the boat at the edge of the lair.

"Let's hurry up and get out of here," Luka spoke. "The sooner we get away from him and fill the team in, the better."

"Oh crap, I almost forgot!" Marinette said. "I gotta go back for a second!"

"Why?!" Luka asked. "You just got away from him. If you go back..."

"The ring." Marinette stated.

Luka got the idea. He gave her a nod as Marinette raced back to Adrien.

Adrien was still sitting in front of the music box, tears about to leak from his eyes.

"Hey Adrien, look who's come back." Plagg said.

Adrien turned around and saw Marinette standing there, a blank, stern expression on her face.

"Princess..." Adrien said. He saw that Marinette was holding out the ring that he gave her.

He approached and took the ring back before putting it back in the box. But Marinette was holding an open palm out.

Adrien gave her a questioning look.

"Your Miraculous." Marinette stated.

Adrien sighed. He took the ring off, then looked at his kwami.

"...Goodbye, Plagg," Adrien said sadly. "...I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Adrien..." Plagg said. He then went back into the Miraculous.

Adrien placed the ring into Marinette's hand. He then took her hand into his own and sang, _"Princess, I love you."_

Marinette didn't say anything. She just took her hand back before backing away in an attempt to leave.

_"Angel Song, hurry up! That mob's nearly here!" _Luka shouted from back at the boat.

"Coming!" Marinette said, before chancing a glance back at Adrien.

"I love you!" Adrien said again as Marinette turned on her heel and ran back for the boat.

Once Marinette was out of his sight, Adrien once again fell to his knees. He took the veil up into his hands and started crying into it, saying once more, "I love you..."

Back at the boat, Marinette got in while Luka shoved off.

"You got the Miraculous back?" Luka asked.

"Yeah." Marinette said as she held the ring in her hand.

"...So what are we going to do with it?" Luka questioned.

"Other than get it back to Master Fu and get the damage repaired? I don't know. Maybe pass it on to someone else?" Marinette suggested.

"I'd volunteer to be the next owner, but I'm satisfied with being a snake." Luka chuckled.

Marinette laughed back.

As Luka steered the boat, the two lovers looked at each other again.

_"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime."_ Marinette sang to Luka.

_"Say the word and I will follow you." _Luka sang in reply.

_"Share each day with me, each night, each morning." _Marinette sang back.

Adrien watched Marinette and Luka leave from the bank of his lair. Tears were still running down his face. He sang out, _"You alone can make my song take flight! It's over now, the music of the night!"_

Adrien dropped the veil, walked back to his throne, sat down, curled up into a ball, then he pulled a cover over himself.

Everyone who was in the mob arrived at the lair. They saw the covered throne. Fearing Adrien was underneath, the leader tore the cover off, only to reveal that the only thing on the chair was Adrien's mask.

She tenderly picked it up and held it out to the people. The mask glittered in the dim light.

* * *

_Epilogue_

_After that disaster, the Palais Garnier was shut down permanently. No more productions were put on, and the building was soon abandoned. Boarded up, no money went into it, and it started falling into disrepair. _

_Luka and Marinette brought the Black Cat Miraculous back to Master Fu, who repaired the damage and put it back in the Miracle Box. All of the damage that Cat Noir created was repaired with Ladybug's "Miraculous Ladybug" as per usual._

_And then Ladybug decided to go public with the announcement that Hawk Moth was gone for good. Needless to say, everyone was thrilled and the city threw a grand celebration to honor the heroes' success and the fall of the super villain. _

_And for the first time in over a decade, Paris was back to normal. _Normal_ normal. No Hawk Moth, no Mayura, no sentimonsters or akumatized super villains. __The Heroes' Garden was fully repaired, too. Though it was clearly hurting her, Ladybug insisted that Cat Noir's statue stay up. Everyone respected it._

_That didn't stop Ladybug, Viperion, and company from patrolling and performing other tasks around the city, though. This included wrangling animals that got loose from the zoo, volunteering around town, patrolling in general, etc. Meanwhile, Marinette was continuing her training to be the next guardian of the Miraculous. _

_She'd also started up her store in Paris that featured all of her designs, called "Marinette by Design." Business was booming, especially since Audrey Bourgeois was at the grand opening herself. The fashion queen also insisted on getting Marinette to help her out if she needed it. _

_Luka and the rest of Kitty Section were clearly rising up the music ranks, topping the charts on some days, and giving Jagged Stone a run for his money (not that Jagged minded. He was a fan of them and often asked Marinette to design costumes for him. He became a sort of unofficial uncle towards Marinette and the group, too)._

_And to put the icing on the cake, Marinette and Luka _FINALLY _had their wedding ceremony. Luka was in one of his nicer suits. Marinette decided that instead of making a whole new wedding dress, she would make some alterations to the wedding dress that Adrien forced her into, including making a whole new veil from scratch. Luka, being the easygoing guy he was, understood why Marinette did so. _

_Everyone on their superhero team, and the families of the couple were in attendance. They were in the pews of the Hôtel de Ville and Mayor Bourgeois was officiating their wedding._

_"I now pronounce you M. and Mme. Luka Couffaine!" The mayor said. _

_Marinette and Luka shared their wedding kiss. The bride threw the bouquet, and Alya caught it. She laughed and pulled Nino in for a smooch._

_Luka lifted Marinette into his arms like a princess and started walking out of the H__ôtel de Ville. _

_All the Miraculous were accounted for, the villains were gone, and Marinette and Luka were finally married. All was, well... _Miraculous.

* * *

**Okay, that's that for this story! I enjoyed writing it! I hope you guys liked reading it just as much! And I couldn't really think of an idea for what happened to Adrien. Let's just say that karma bit him in the ass and bit _hard_. Same goes for Gabriel and Nathalie.**


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